80 HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM. 



the value of the recent collections. We will not 

 stop to enumerate them here , but barely name 

 the most important. In June 1795 arrived the 

 cabinet of the statholder, rich in every branch of 

 natural history and especially in zoology. In Fe- 

 bruary 1796, M. Desfontaines gave the Museum 

 his collection of insects from the coast of Bar- 

 bary. In November of the same year a collection 

 was received from the low countries, and that 

 of precious stones was removed from the mint 

 to the Museum. In February 1797, the minister 

 procured the African birds, which had served for 

 the drawings of Levaillant's celebrated work. 

 In 1798 the collection formed by Brocheton in 

 Guyana, and the numerous objects of animated 

 and vegetable nature, collected under the tropics 

 by captain Baudin and his indefatigable asso- 

 ciates , fdled the hot-houses and the galleries of 

 the Museum. 



The government manifested the most unceasing 

 and lively concern for the establishment, and did 

 every thing in its power to promote its interests ; 

 but the penury of the finances rendered it im- 

 possible to furnish the necessary funds for the 

 arrangement of the collections, the repairs of 

 the buildings , the payment of the salaries , and 

 the nourishment of the animals. Petitions were 

 useless ; the funds were absorbed by the armies 



