THIRD PERIOD. 71 



received notice of this decree, met, and appoint- 

 ed M. Daubenton president, M. Desfontaines se- 

 cretary, and M. Thouin treasurer. From that 

 time, they assembled on stated days, and 

 planned the supplementary regulations enjoined 

 by the legislative body. 



Their first care was to obtain the creation of 

 certain places, which the recent changes render- 

 ed necessary. 



The general administration of the cabinet be- 

 longed to the assembly, and the care of the col- 

 lections, to the several professors ; the places of 

 keeper and assistant keepers ol the cabinet, were 

 therefore suppressed. But as it was necessary to 

 have some person charged with the key of the 

 galleries, the preservation of the objects, and the 

 reception of visitors, these duties were devolved 

 on M. Lucas , who had passed his life in the esta- 

 blishment, and enjoyed the confidence of Buff on. 



M. Andrew Thouin, being made professor of 

 agriculture, M. John Thouin was appointed first 

 gardener. Four places of assistant naturalist (i), 

 were created, for the arrangement and prepara- 

 tion of objects under the direction of the profes- 

 sors, and three painters were attached to the Mu- 

 seum, viz : M. Marechal and the brothers Henry 



(1) Filled by MM. Desmoulins, Dufresne, Valenciennes and De- 

 leuze ; the two first for zoology, the others for mineralogy and botany. 



