MATHURIN JACQUES

BRISSON (1723-1806)  , French zoologist and natural philosopher, was born at Fontenay le Comte on the 30th of April 1723 . The earlier part of his life was spent in the pursuit of natural history, his published works in this department including Le Reggae animal (1756) and Ornithologie (176o) . After the death of R . A . F . Reaumur (1683-1757), whose assistant he was, he abandoned natural history, and was appointed professor of natural philosophy at Navarre and later at Paris . His most important work in this department was his Poids specifaques des corps (1787), but he published several other books on physical subjects which were in considerable repute for a time . He died at Croissy near Paris, on the 23rd of June 1806 .