82 HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM. 



land for its enlargement, and still further aug- 

 menting the collections. 



foreign animals had for some years been 

 added to the menagerie, and if we except the 

 lions, which had produced young, and the ele- 

 phants from Holland, it contained few that 

 were remarkable. Several were said to exist in 

 London which the owner, M. Penbrock, wished 

 to dispose of, and in July 1800 M. Chaptal, then 

 minister of the interior, sent M. Delaunay to 

 England on this errand. For the sum of iy,5oo 

 francs he bought eight quadrupeds, viz. two 

 tigers , male and female ; a male and female 

 lynx, a mandrill, a leopard, a panther, and a 

 hyena, with a number of birds. These animals 

 arrived in safety, and were placed in lodges 

 constructed at the bottom of the horse-chesnut 

 avenue. Sir Joseph Banks took the opportunity 

 of presenting to the Museum several curious 

 plants. 



In the meantime the cameleopard and other va- 

 luable preparations were placed in the galleries : 

 the skeletons , which had long been inaccessible 

 to the public, were put in order ; from the nu- 

 merous specimens of minerals which had been 

 stored away or had remained in cases, such as 

 were judged proper for exhibition in the galle- 

 ries were selected; the collection of insects was 



