Almost at every public sitting of the Academy he gave an account of his researches, and often obtained more applause from the gratitude of his assistants, than his associates received for the most difficult discoveries, but whose utility was less obvious.

His success has since been surpassed. The entire flocks; brought by Government from Spain at the request of M. Tessier, as well as those brought by M. Gilbert, have spread a fine race over the country, with much greater rapidity than Daubenton could do by means of his rams alone; but he, nevertheless, led the way, and did all that was possible with the means he possessed;

He acquired, by these means; a kind of popular reputation, which was very useful to him in a dangerous crisis. In 1793, an epoch fortunately already remote from us, when, by an overturn of ideas which will be long memorable in history, the most ignorant portion of the people had to pronounce on the fate of the most intelligent and nobly born, Daubenton, now an octogenarian, in order to retain the situation he had honoured by his talents and virtues for fifty-two years, required to ask from an assembly, which assumed the name of the section Sane-culottes, a paper of which the extraordinary name was Certificat de Civisme. A professor or academician would have obtained it with difficulty. Some sensible people, mixed with the infuriated rabble in the hope of restraining their excesses, presented him under the title of Shepherd'; and it was the Shepherd Daubenton who obtained the certificate necessary for the Director of the Museum of Natural History. This paper still exists. It is a document, calculated to throw light not only on the life of Daubenton, but on the history of this dismal period.

These numerous labours would have exhausted a bustling activity, but they were insufficient for the peaceable love of a regulated occupation, which formed part of Daubenton's character.

It had been for a long time a subject of regret, that in France there were no public lectures on Natural History. He managed, in 1773, that one of the chairs of Practical Medicine, in the College of France, should be changed into a chair of Natural History, and undertook, in 1775, to fill it. The intendant of Paris, Berthier, engaged him, in 1783, to give lectures on Rural Economy in the Veterinary School of Alford, at the same time that Vicq. d'Azyr gave lectures on Comparative Anatomy and Fourcroy on Chemistry.

He likewise desired to give lectures in the cabinet of Paris, where the objects themselves would have spoken even more distinctly than the professor; and not having been able to accomplish this under the old regime, he united with the other individuals of the Jardin des Plantes, in requesting the Convention to convert this establishment into a special school of Natural History.

Daubenton was nominated Professor of Mineralogy in this establishment, and he fulfilled the duties of that office till his death, with the same care that he bestowed on every thing he undertook.

It was indeed an affecting sight to observe the old man, surrounded by his pupils, who listened with religious attention to his words, which, in their estimation, were like the responses of an oracle; to hear his feeble and tremulous voice become reanimated, and acquire strength and energy, when he wished to impress on their minds some of those great principles which are the result of the meditations of genius, or when he was merely explaining to them some useful truths.

He had not more pleasure in speaking to them than in listening to what they said. He lent a ready ear to all their questions, which afforded him the greatest pleasure. He forgot his years and weakness whenever he thought he could be useful to the youth around him, and when he had any duty to perform.

One of his colleagues having offered, when he was appointed a senator, to assist him in teaching: "My friend," he replied, "no one could fill my place better than you: when age shall force me to give up my labours, be assured that I will devolve them on you." He was then eighty-three years of age.

Nothing can afford a better proof of his zeal for study, than the pains he took to keep pace with the progress of science, and to avoid imitating those professors, who, when once settled in a place, merely repeat the same thing every year. At eighty years of age, he has been heard explaining the discoveries of one of his old pupils, M. Hauy; forcing himself to understand them, that he might give an account of them to the youth whom he taught. This example is so rare among philosophers, that it may perhaps be considered one of the most beautiful traits in Daubenton's character. During the ephemeral existence of the Normal School he delivered some lectures there. He was received with the most lively enthusiasm every time he appeared; every time his numerous auditory recognised in his expressions the sentiments with which they were animated, and which they were delighted to see they shared with this venerable old man.

This is the place to speakt of some of his works, which are not so much intended to explain his discoveries, as to teach systematically some body of doctrine; such are his articles for the two Encyclopaedias, particularly the Encyclopedie Methodique, for which he drew up dictionaries of quadrupeds, reptiles, and fishes; his miner-alogical table, and lectures in the normal school. He has left the complete manuscript of those of the Veterinary School, of the College of France, and of the Mu-seum. It is to be hoped that the public will not be deprived of them.

These didactic writings are remarkable for their great clearness, sound principles, and a scrupulous attention-to avoid every thing that is doubtful; only we are surprised to see, that the same individual who declaimed with such vigour against any kind of method in natural history, should have finished by adopting methods which are neither better, nor perhaps so good as those he found fault with, as if he had been destined to prove, by his example, how far his earliest prepossessions were contrary to the nature of things and of man.