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Extremely rare complete and uniformly bound set of the first German edition of a classic zoological work
BUFFON, Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de, [& Louis J.M. DAUBENTON].Allgemeine Historie der Natur nach allen ihren besondern Theilen abgehandelt; nebst einer Beschreibung der Naturalienkammer Sr. Majestät des Königes von Frankreich. Mit einer Vorrede Herrn Doctor Albrecht von Haller.      Hamburg and Leipsic, G. Chr. Grund and A.H. Holle (parts I-IV), Leipsic, Holle (parts V-VIII)/ J. Heinsius (parts IX-XI), 1750-1782. 11 parts in 22 volumes. 4to. Contemporary uniform speckled half-calf, red and green morocco labels. With 720 numbered engraved plates, of which 717 full-page and 3 half-page, plus 2 unnumbered engraved plates, 2 maps, 2 folding tables, 11 full-page tables in text, 7 engraved vignettes and 1 woodcut vignette in text, engraved vignettes on title-pages. Extremely rare complete set of the first German edition of this classic work on zoology. Georges Louis Leclerc (1707-1788) - in 1717 his father became Comte de Buffon and Louis XV later made Georges Comte de Buffon -, was an inconspicuous student who only showed a special talent for mathematics. Initially he combined a career in finance with one in science, translating important works by Hales and Newton into French. In 1739 Buffon became director of the Jardin du Roi, later the Jardin des Plantes, and the Histoire naturelle may have originated as a description of the royal collection. It appeared from 1749 till 1804 and comprised eventually 44 volumes. Buffon was assisted among others by the anatomist Louis Daubenton, and the final volumes were completed after his death under the direction of Comte de Lacépède. The German edition was begun in 1750 but discontinued after the volume on ornithology in 1782. Buffon did not believe in the fixity of species but proposed that nature is constantly changing. For instance in the case of quadrupeds he stated that there were 38 basic types that degenerated over the centuries. According to Buffon, the monkey is a degenerated man, the ass a degenerated horse. His interest in the precise connection between groups of animals that are obviously related prompted Buffon to devote much attention to comparative anatomy in the Histoire naturelle . He also stressed the importance of the study of earth sciences for botany and zoology. "Life and animation, instead of being a metaphysical point in being, is a physical property of matter" (quoted in DSB, p. 597). Thus his Histoire naturelle opens with an essay called Théorie de la terre. Buffon believed that the earth originated from a collision between a comet and the sun, and gradually condensed from its gaseous state. The forces that shaped its continents and mountains are still active, and have influenced, and still influence the development of the different animal groups. In a later volume of the Histoire naturelle, Époques de la nature (1778, not included in the German edition), he wrote that the earth had cooled off for about 75,000 years. During this period the different forms of life had developed. Buffon's views on the origin and development of species and the history of the earth show how he tried to describe natural phenomena by means of science, discarding metaphysical and religious explanations. "He was the first to create an autonomous science, free of any theological influence... (and) establish(ed) the intellectual framework within which most naturalists up to Darwin worked" (DSB). The vignettes on page 3 of volume I.1 and page 3 of volume I.2 illustrate this combination of natural and exact sciences. Volumes I.1 and I.2 contain Buffon's theoretical essays, volume II.1 deals with man, volumes II.2-VIII.2 deal with quadrupeds, and volumes IX.1-XI.2 are on birds. Well preserved, attractively bound complete set.- (Bookplates Alex. F.H. von Seckendorff on inside front covers, library stamp "Bibliothek Sugenheim" on first endleaves; some bindings very slightly rubbed).
Anker 79 (vols. IX-XI); Nissen, ZBI 709 (only 719 plates); PMM 198; DSB II, pp. 576-582.
Related Subjects: Natural History Ornithology Printing and the Mind of Man Zoology Add to Shopping cart |
€ 12.500,00
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All items are offered subject to prior sale. Prices are nett and in (€) EURO. VAT/BTW, postage, and insurance are not included.
Free shipping for orders over € 2,500. EU customers: if applicable, please quote your VAT number when placing orders.
Preferred mode of payment: by credit card through our secure online payment service, which is facilitated by Ogone. If you wish to make other arrangements, please contact us. Terms of sale
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