Note 162 — Chapter XVI · THE STEPS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF LAMARCK’S VIEWS ON EVOLUTION BEFORE THE PUBLICATION OF HIS PHILOSOPHIE ZOOLOGIQUE
Reading edition
Discours d’ouverture du Cours de Zoologie donné dans le Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, le 21 floréal, an 8 de la République (1800). Floréal is the name adopted by the National Convention for the eighth month of the year. In the years of the Republic 1 to 7 it extended from April 20 to May 19 inclusive, and in the years 8 to 13 from April 21 to May 20 (Century Cyclopedia of Names). The lecture, then, in which Lamarck first presented his views was delivered on some day between April 21 and May 20, 1800.