THIRD PERIOD. 78 



which had already been deemed necessary by the 

 constitutant assembly. 



The report of the committee of public instruc- 

 tion, approved the regulations of the professors, 

 and fixed the organisation of the Museum in its 

 present form, with the exception of slight 

 modifications exacted by the change of circum- 

 stances. A law in conformity, of the nth, of 

 December 1794 7 created a third chair of zoo- 

 logy, to which M. de Lacepede was appointed ; 

 gave the whole administration of the establish- 

 ment to the professors ; increased their salary 

 from 2,800 to 5,ooo francs; fixed the expences 

 of the following year at 194,000 fr. ; and ordained 

 that the land between the rue Polivequ , the rue 

 de Seine, the river, the boulevard, and the rue 

 Saint- Victor , should be united to the Museum. 

 A still more vast but impracticable plan had been 

 presented, which was withdrawn at the solici- 

 tation of the professors. 



The aspect of the ground, and the object of the 

 establishment both indicate the fitness of these li- 

 mits ; but as the opportunity had been neglected 

 of procuring the lands by exchange , it was only 

 by degrees that the portion was obtained which 

 forms the new menagerie : several spots are still 

 in the hands of individuals, and are an obstacle to 

 the completion and regularity of the plan. 



