LE VAILLANT, FRANcOIS, a distinguished traveler and naturalist, particularly eminent as an ornithologist, was b. in 1753 at Paramaribo, in Dutch Guiana, where his father, a rich French merchant, was then French consul. When he was 10 years of age, his father returned to Europe and settled at Metz, his native place. Young Le Valliant received a good education. Beginning as a mere sportsman, he soon became an ornithol ogist. In 1777 he visited Paris, and inspected the rich collections of natural history there. He was now seized with a strong desire to visit unexplored countries, and embarked, at Amsterdam, in a Dutch vessel for the cape of Good Hope. Owing to the accidents of war, which had broken out between Britain and Holland, Le Vaillant found himself at the cape with nothing but his fowling-piece, ten ducats, and the clothes he had on. He found friends, however, in some of the Dutch officials, who assisted him, and provided him with the means of carrying out his intention of South African explora tions. He made two principal excursions: the first from Dec., 1781, to April, 1782, east ward, at no great distance from the coast, to the Great Fish river, whence he ref urned by a more northern route through mountainous regions; the second, in 1783 and 1784, northwards from Cape Town as far as the tropic of Capricorn. In both journeys, his love of adventure was sufficiently gratified, and in the second he endured hardships not inconsiderable. Finding that his health suffered from fatigue and from the climate, he
wisely relinquished further projects of travel, and returned to Europe, taking up his abode in Paris, where he devoted himself to the stuffing of his collection of skins of birds and other animals, an art in which he excelled, and to the preparation of works giving an account of his travels and of his discoveries in natural history. In 1793. dur. ing the reign of terror, he was thrown into prison, and only escaped the guillotine through the fall of Robespierre. lie now retired to a small property at La Notio, near Sezanne, where lie chiefly resided during the remainder of his life. He died Nov. 22, 1824, at the age of 71.
Le Vaillant's chief works are his travels (Voyage dans I' Inthrieur de rAfrique, Paris, 1 vol. 4to, or 2 vols. 8vo, 1790; and Second Voyage clans r interieur de rAirique, 2 vols. 4to, Paris, 1796), which were speedily translated into English and other languages, and are remarkable for their spirited narration of incident, and the interest with which every subject is invested; and his Natural History of the Birds of Africa (6 vols. 4to, Paris, 1796-1812).- He published also several works on particular departments of ornithology, as a Natural Ifstory of Paroguets, a Natural History of Birds of Paradise, etc. He made many discoveries in various departments of natural history, but chiefly iu ornithology.