Jules Sebastien Cesar Dumont D'Urville,, a French navigator, born at Conde-sur-Noireau, May 23, 1790, died May 8,1842. In 1819-'20 he visited the Grecian archipelago and the shores of. the Black sea, collected a number of new plants, of which he published descriptions, and investigated the ruins of several ancient cities. In 1822 he accompanied Duperrey in his voyage round the world, and returned in 1825, bringing a rich collection of insects and plants. He went on a second expedition (1826-'9) as commander, and explored the Australian archipelago and the islands of New Zealand and Papua. He discovered several islands which Cook had not perceived, estab-lished the locality of the Loyalty isles, and brought home more than 4,000 sketches of scenery and natural history, 10,000 specimens of animals, and more than 6,000 species of plants. In 1837 he undertook, with the sloops of war Astrolabe and Zelee, his last voyage, to explore the antarctic regions, and circumnavigate the globe through the southern seas. On his return in 1840 he was made rear admiral, and went to Paris to superintend the publication of the account of this voyage at the expense of the government.

The second volume had been published when the author was killed, with his wife and son, in a railway disaster on the line of Paris and Versailles. The work was completed under the supervision of M. Vincen-don-Dumoulin, in 24 vols. 8vo, with 6 folio vols. of illustrations (Paris, 1841-54). The departments of zoology, botany, anthropology, geology, etc, were treated by special writers attached to the expedition.