THIRD PERIOD. C)3 



expedition, two remained in the Isle of France, 

 and two, Mauge and Levillain, died on the pas- 

 sage ; Peron, the only survivor, attached himself 

 intimately to Lesueur the painter of natural his- 

 tory, an excellent observer, and these two inde- 

 fatigable men amassed an infinite variety of ob- 

 jects. They were occupied a fortnight in disem- 

 barking the collection at Lorient, of which we 

 cannot better give an idea than in the words of 

 M. Cuvier's report to the Institute. 



« Every day, he says, affords new proofs of 

 the value of this collection, consisting of more 

 than one hundred thousand specimens of ani- 

 mals of all classes. It has already furnished several 

 important genera, and the number of new spe- 

 cies, according to the report of the professors of 

 the Museum, exceeds two thousand five hundred. 

 Every thing that it was possible to preserve has 

 been brought home, either dried, carefully stuff- 

 ed, or in spirits ; nor has the preparation of ske- 

 letons been neglected whenever it was prac- 

 ticable ; of which that of the crocodile of the 

 Moluccas is sufficient proof. » 



The same voyage procured us several living 

 animals, among which were the zebra and the 

 gnu, presented by M. Janson, governor of the 

 Cape, to the empress Josephine, and by her, to 

 the Museum. 



