ck est
frappe, M. Bosc[42] continuera d'exercer sur les parties confiert a
M. Audouin la surveillance attribuee au Professeur."

But, according to Duval, long before this he had been unable to use his
eyes. In his _Systeme analytique des Connaissances positives de
l'Homme_, published in 1820, he refers to the sudden loss of his
eyesight.

Even in advanced life Lamarck seems not to have suffered from
ill-health, despite the fact that he apparently during the last thirty
years of his life lived in a very secluded way. Whether he went out into
the world, to the theatre, or even went away from Paris and the Museum
into the country in his later years, is a matter of doubt. It is said
that he was fond of novels, his daughters reading to him those of the
best French authors. After looking with some care through the records of
the sessions of the Assembly of Professors, we are struck with the
evidences of his devotion to routine museum work and to his courses of
lectures.

At that time the Museum sent out to the _Ecoles centrales_ of the
different departments of France named collections made up from the
duplicates, and in this sort of drudgery Lamarck took an active part. He
also took a prominent share in the business of the Museum, in the
exchange and in the purchase of specimens and collections in his
department, and even in the management of the menagerie. Thus he
reported on the dentition of the young lions (one dying from teething),
on the illness and recovery of one of the elephants, on the generations
of goats and kids in the park; also on a small-sized bull born of a
small cow covered by a Scottish bull, the young animal having, as he
states, all the characters of the original.

For one year (1794) he was secretary of the Board of Professors of the
Museum.[43] The records of the meetings from 4 vendemiaire, l'an III.,
until 4 vendemiaire, l'an IV., are each written in his bold, legible
handwriting or signed by him. He signed his name _Lamarck_, this period
being that of the first republic. Afterwards, in the records, his name
is written _De Lamarck_. He was succeeded by E. Geoffroy St. Hilaire,
who signed himself plain _Geoffroy_.

In 1802 he acted as treasurer of the Assembly, and again for a period of
six years, until and including 1811, when he resigned, the reason given
being: "Il s'occupe depuis six ans et que ses travaux et son age lui
rendent penibles."

Lamarck was extremely regular in his attendance at