MEMOIR OF DAUBENTON. 
209 
Daubenton was likewise the first who had perceived 
in the hark the trachea, or shining elastic vessels, often 
filled with air, which others had discovered in the 
wood. 
Mineralogy has made such rapid progress of late 
years, that the labours of Daubenton in this department 
of Natural History are almost now eclipsed, and there 
only remains for him the reputation of having given to 
the science the individual who advanced it further. It 
is he who was the master of Haiiy. He published, how- 
ever, some ingenious notions respecting the formation 
of alabasters and stalactitos, on the causes of herboriza- 
tion on stones and figured marbles ; and descriptions of 
minerals little known at the time when he noticed them. 
It is true, that his arrangement of precious stones is not 
conformable to their real nature ; but he at least renders 
the nomenclature of their colours more precise. 
We find, more or less, in all these works of Dau- 
benton on physical subjects, that kind of talent which 
was peculiar to him, a patience which would not fail to 
try to divine Nature, because it never despaired of 
forcing Nature to explain herself, by means of repeated 
interrogations, and that skilful' sagacity in seizing the 
slightest signs that might indicate a response. 
We perceive, in his works on agriculture, another 
quality besides ; namely, anxiety for public usefulness. 
What he did for the improvement of our wools deserves 
for ever the gratitude of the state, to which he opened 
up a new source of prosperity. 
