86 HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM. 



partment, and all unite to justify the confidence 

 of the government, and to ensure the prosperity 

 of an establishment, the glory of which is their 

 common property. A succeeding professor may 

 present a science under a different form, but the 

 administrative assembly is constantly animated 

 by the same spirit : its progress is more or less 

 rapid according to circumstances, but its motion 

 is never retrograde, being always directed to- 

 wards the same end. 



These reflections are not unconnected with 

 the history of the Museum, and their propriety 

 will be fully evinced, by the continuation of the 

 picture which we have undertaken to sketch. 



In 1 80 1, during the ministry of M. Chaptal, 

 to whom the Museum is under great obligations, 

 the botanical garden, which had been filling up 

 since 1770, was increased in extent one third, and 

 the two parterres opposite the cabinet were 

 planted as we now see them ; the upper gallery 

 of the cabinet was finished and glazed , and the 

 principal objects were methodically arranged ; 

 the green-house was terminated and filled with 

 magnificent shrubs ; the plan of the menagerie 

 was finally settled and adopted ; several wood- 

 yards were purchased and transformed into parks ; 

 the first floor of Leger's house, mentioned in a 

 preceding page, received the herbarium, and 



