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René Maugé de Cely

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René Maugé (born in 1757 - died 20 February 1802) was a French zoologist known for his work accompanying the Baudin Expedition.

Background

René Maugé was born in 1757 in Cély-en-Bière, Seine-et-Marne.[1] Details about his early life are unknown. In May 1794, he started work at the Muséum Nationale d’Histoire Naturelle where he was trained in taxidermy by Louis Dufresne.[2]

From 1796 to 1798, he joined Nicolas Baudin on a government-supported expedition to collect bird specimens in Tenerife, St. Thomas, St. Croix and Puerto Rico.[2] There, Maugé collected 296 bird specimens.[1]

On 19 October 1800, aged 42,[3] he again joined Baudin on Expédition aux terres australes (1800-1804) a voyage to Tenerife, Mauritius, Australia and Timor with the corvette Le Géographe and the store-ship Le Naturaliste.[4] Maugé was appointed by Antoine-Laurent de Jussieu, director of the Muséum Nationale d’Histoire Naturelle, as one of the official expedition zoologists. The scientific expedition and collection of specimens was challenging in the uncharted territory.[4] On the expedition to Timor, Maugé would describe at least fifty-two species new to science.[1]

On 20 February 1802, Maugé died of dysentery on board the Le Géographe off the coast of Tasmania.[5] He was buried on Maria Island.[6][7] His death was a considerable blow to the expedition. After his death, many of Maugé's collections from Timor were dispersed and some were lost.[1]

Zoological tributes

References

  1. ^ a b c d Jansen, Justin J. F. J. (2017-11-16). "René Maugé's ornithological collections from Kupang Bay, West-Timor, Indonesia, August-November 1801, with special regard to type-specimens". Zoosystematics and Evolution. 93 (2): 467–492. doi:10.3897/zse.93.19964. ISSN 1860-0743.
  2. ^ a b Jangoux, M. 2009. Journal du voyage aux Antilles de La Bella Angélique (1796-1798). Presses de L’Université Paris-Sorbonne, Paris. p.30
  3. ^ Horner, F. 1987. The French reconnaissance: Baudin in Australia 1803-1803. Melbourne University Press, Melbourne. p. 400
  4. ^ a b "The Baudin Expedition in Australian waters (1801-1803): the faunal legacy | Western Australian Museum". museum.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  5. ^ "René Maugé (1802)". seafarersmemorial.org.au. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  6. ^ Horner, F. 1987. The French reconnaissance: Baudin in Australia 1803-1803. Melbourne University Press, Melbourne. p.340
  7. ^ Australia, State Library of South. "Baudin, Nicolas. The journal of post Captain Nicolas Baudin. - page 340 : 20-21 February 1802". encounter.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au. Retrieved 2024-11-13.