France. Ministère de l'Instruction publique.

As a govenment office, the Service des missions was part of the Bureau des travaux historiques. It was created in 1842 and, after its establishment in 1874, directed by the Commission des missions. Among its extremely large and diverse responsibilities (which included literature, history, medicine and science) were astronomy, physics, chemistry, and oceanography. In 1935, the Service was included in the Caisse nationale des recherches scientifiques (ancestor of present-day CNRS).

From the description of French government records concerning the Services des Missions (in charge of scientific expeditions during the 19th century), 1864-1945. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 80620657