AUTHOR: Buffon, Georges Louis Leclerc, comte de (1707-1788) TITLE: Histoire naturelle: générale et particulière; avec la description du Cabinet de roi. IMPRINT: Paris: de l’Imprimerie royale, 1749-1789. COLLATION: 36 v.: ill, plates (part fold.), maps; 26 cm. (4to) CONTENTS: t. 1. De la maniere d’etudier et de traiter l’histoire naturelle. Histoire et theorie de la terre, par m. de Buffon. 1749 t. 2. Histoire general des animaux. Histoire naturelle de l’homme, par m. de Buffon. 1799 t. 3. Description du Cabinet du roy, par m. Daubenton. Histoire naturelle de l’homme / par m. de Buffon. 1749 -t. 4-15. [Quadrupeds], par m. de Buffon et m. Daubenton. 1753-67 Supplement-7 v., par m. de Buffon. 1774-89 t. 16-24. Histoire naturelle des oiseaux, par m. de Buffon et m. Gueneau de Montbeillard 9. v. 1752-83... t. [25-29] Histoire naturelle Des mineraux, par m. de Buffon. With atlas of 8 fold. Maps 5 v. NOTES: Authors’ names do not occur on title-pages of v. 1-24,but are given in tables of contents. Vols. 1-15 have only general title- pages; suppl., v. 1-7 have general title-ages, which in some cases state subject of special volume. Suppl., v. 7 has half-title: Oeuvres completes Des m. le comte de Buffon. Histoire Des quadrupedes. Vols. 16-24 have only special title-pages with general half-title. Lager volumes have only special title-pages. “First edition of this monumental set. Buffon, assisted by Louis Daubenton, an anatomist, and later by others, notably Lacèpéde, created a scientific work covering all of natural history, free from theological influence. The scope of Buffon’s subject had never previously been undertaken by any author; he includes hundreds of detailed descriptions of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and minerals. His focus was unified by a philosophy that the Newtonian principle of universal law extended to animate as well as inanimate nature, that man was to be considered part of nature, to be studied with the same methods applied to other animal species. This led to the introduction of a number of evolutionary issues, including common descent, extinction and reproductive isolation of species. According to Mayr, Buffon is the one who raised natural history from an avocation and a hobby to the status of a science.” — Rootenberg catalogue no. 8 “‘Buffon’s work is of exceptional importance because of its diversity, richness, originality, and influence. Buffon was among the first to create an autonomous science, free of any theological influence. He emphasized the importance of natural history and the great length of geological time. He envisioned the nature of science and understood the roles of paleontology, zoological geography, and animal psychology. He realized both the necessity of transformism and its difficulties. Although his cosmogony was inadequate and his theory of animal reproduction was weak, and although he did not understand the problem of classification, he did establish the intellectual framework within which most naturalists up to Darwin worked.’ (DSB) Buffon is considered the founder of evolutionary theory.’ George Buffon set forth his general views on species classification in the first volume of his Histoire Naturelle. Buffon objected to the so-called “artificial”classifications of Andrea Cesalpino and Carolus linnaeus, stating that in nature the chain of life has small gradations from one type to another and that the discontinuous categories are all artificially constructed by mankind. Buffon suggested that all organic species may have descended from a small number of primordial types; this is an evolution predominantly from more perfect to less perfect forms.’ (Parkinson, Breakthroughs). Like that other great product of the enlightenment, the Encyclopédie, the Histoire Naturelle was a collaborative enterprise, outliving its instigator and chief author. The two scientists who were foremost among the several contributors were Daubenton and Lacépède (first as Comte de, then as Citoyen): they completed the work after Buffon’s death in 1788. Over 1,000 of the plates are the work of Jacques de Sève, père et fils: a full list of the artists is provided by Nissen. They range in style from exact anatomical drawings (skeletons, dissections, etc.) to settings of animals in their natural habitat. The headpieces are fanciful masterpieces of baroque decoration. In spite of the costliness of the work, its numerous editions and translations testify to its popularity. Most sets lack some or all of the Supplément volumes, and/or various plates.” — William Patrick Watson catalogue no. 10 “First edition of this monumental work, ‘the most celebrated treatise on animals ever produced’ (Dibner). Besides the comprehensive coverage of natural history (including mankind) and minerals, the work incorporates Buffon’s highly important Théorie de la Terre, elaborated in the fifth volumen of the Supplement as Des Epoques de la nature. ‘Buffon’s work is of exceptional importance because of its diversity, richness, originality, Buffon is considered the founder of evolutionary theory. Georges Buffon set forth his general views on species classification in the first volume of his Histoire Naturelle. Buffon objected to the so-called “artificial” classifications of Andrea Cesalpino and Carolus Linnaeus, stating that in nature the chain of life has small gradations from one type to another and that the discontinuous categories are all artificially constructed by mankind. Buffon suggested that all organic species may have descended from a small number of primordial types; this is an evolution predominantly from more perfect to less perfect forms.’ (Parkinson, Breakthroughs) Like that other great product of the enlightenment, the Encyclopédie, the Histoire Naturalle was a collaborative enterprise, outliving its instigator and chief author. The two scientists who were foremost among the several contributors were Daubenton and Lacépède (first as Comte de, then as Citoyen): they completed the work after Buffon’s death in 1788. Over 1000 of the plates are the work of Jacques de Sève, père et fils: a full list of the artists is provided by Nissen. They range in style from exact anatomical drawings (skeletons, dissections, etc.) to settings of animals in their natural habitat. The headpieces are fanciful masterpieces of baroque decoration. In spite of the costliness of the work, its numerous editions and translations testify to its popularity. Most sets lack some or all of the supplement volumes, and/or various plates.” — Quaritch, catalogue 1285 REFERENCES: BMC, Natural History Catalogue, I, p. 281; Dibner, Heralds of Science, 193; En Français dans le texte, 152; Linda Hall Library, Theories of the Earth, 226; Haskell Norman Catalogue, I 369; Printing & the Mind of Man, 198; Casey Wood, p. 267; Sparrow , Milestones, p. 23; Ward and Carozzi 383; Nissen (Zoology) 672 KEYWORDS: 1. Natural history. I. Daubenton, Louis Jean Marie (1716-1799) II. Gueneau de Montbeliard, Philibert (1720-1785) LOCATION: QH45.B77