Daubenton, LOUIS JEAN MARIE

Daubenton, LOUIS JEAN MARIE, naturalist, was born at Montbar in Burgundy, 29th May 1716. He studied theology at the Sorbonne, but soon gave himself up to medicine and anatomy. In 1742 his old schoolfellow, Buffon, invited him to assist him in the preparation of his great work on Natural History, and Daubenton contributed richly to the first fifteen volumes of the Histoire Naturelle, until the jealousy of Buffon led to an estrangement. Daubenton now devoted himself almost entirely to his duties in the Jardin du Roi, where he was professor of Mineralogy. He was also for a time professor of Natural History in the College of Medicine. He contributed largely to the first Encyclopédie, and wrote many valuable mémoires. He died 31st December 1799.