413 
EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
These broad and enlightened views did not drop down upon 
Saint-Hilaire as a sudden inspiration; great men liad been in 
the field before him ever since the time-honoured date of 
1601, when Henry IV and Olivier, de Serres, in spite of the 
opposition of Sully, acclimatized the mulberry in France, in¬ 
troduced the silkworm, and laid the foundation for the lucra¬ 
tive industry of Lyons. 
More recently a great writer, and yet a practical man, 
broke through the routine monotony of the schools, and had 
his share in giving vitality to abstract science—this was 
Buffon. 
‘ AVe are far, very far,^ said he, ^ from using all the riches 
nature offers. She has given us the horse, the ox, the sheep, 
and all our other domestic animals for our use, our nourish¬ 
ment and clothing; she has yet other species in reserve to 
supply their lack ; it is for us to tame and render them sub¬ 
servient to our wants. Man knows not sufficiently what 
nature can effect, nor his power over nature; and instead of 
seeking that of which he is ignorant, he turns into abuse the 
very knowledge he possesses.^ 
Not content with theories or generalities, Buffon was no 
sooner made director of the Jardin des Plantes (then called 
the Boyal Garden of Medicinal Plants) than he set to work 
to change and amplify its whole organization. At this time 
it was nothing but a botanical garden, reserved exclusively for 
the cultivation of medical plants. ^ For a century,^ writes 
M. Drouyn de Lhuys, no one dreamt of giving it any other 
destination.^ Buffon determined that it should be con¬ 
secrated to the practical and theoretical study of all the pro¬ 
ductions of nature. But as this gigantic plan could not be 
successfully attempted by one single hand, since it would not 
be possible for an unaided worker to cope with its multifarious 
details, he chose (and the selection was most happy) two 
admirable assistants—Daubenton, to superintend the animal, 
and Andre Thouin the vegetable, kingdom. To these three 
we owe the creation of that magnificent establishment, the 
Museum of Natural History. Now mark the heritage of a 
great thought. Buffon, himself a genius, chooses two men, 
Daubenton and Andre Thouin, who both live to be known to 
fame. Daubenton, finding the details of his work beyond his 
grasp, chooses and adopts, as his own son, Etienne (Stephen) 
Geotfroy Saint-Hilaire, who in turn, while yet a student, 
creates the Menagerie of Acclimatization (1793), whilst his 
master gives to France the race of merino sheep. Sixty 
years later, the son, Isidore GcoftVoy Saint-Hilaire, inaugu¬ 
rates the Society of Acclimatization.^’ 
