Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Vivier, Jacques du

​VIVIER, Jacques du (veev-yay), French natu- ralist, b. in Lorient, France, in 1720; d. there in 1793. He studied botany in Paris, held an office in the laboratory of the Academy of sciences, and sailed as secretary of a commission that was sent to South America to measure an arc of the meridian under Charles Marie de la Condamine. When the authorities of Lima induced some of the mathe- maticians to stay in South America, Vivier re- mained with Jean Godin, was employed in opening sulphur-mines at Cochabamba, and held for some time the chair of botany and mathematics in the College of Lima. In 1781 he obtained permission to return, and he embarked at Cayenne in 1782. On his arrival at Paris he vainly sought to recover his former place in the laboratory of the Acade- my of sciences, and for some time lived in pov- erty, until he obtained a place in the library of the Duke of Penthievre. His published works include " Nova genera et species plantarum quas in Ameri- ca, Jac. Vivierus eollegit" (3 vols., Paris, 1788-90) and "Sertum Peruanum " (2 vols., 1792) ; and his manuscripts contain a " Flora chilensis," which has never been published.

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