Lacepede's " Tableaux . . . des Mammiferes et 



des Oiseaux," 1799. 



By C. Davies Sherborn. 



In Natural Science for December 1897 (p. 432) there will be found a 

 letter by me upon Lacepede's " Tableaux." These " Tableaux " are 

 classifications of mammals and birds, and their interest consists in the 

 fact that in them many generic names are used for the first time in 

 literature. In the communication referred to above, I mentioned that 

 an edition of Buffon had been discovered in which these " Tableaux " 

 occurred, and that the volume containing these " Tableaux " was dated 

 1799. As this was the date of the original publication, and as the 

 original publication had been lost sight of practically since it first saw 

 the light, the discovery was apparently of considerable importance. 



In June 1899 I received a kindly communication from Mr. C. W. 

 Richmond of the United States National Museum, pointing out that 

 according to the Journal Typogrwphique of Paris, the edition of Buffon 

 in question, although dated 1799, apparently came out in livraisons of 

 two volumes a month, and that the particular volume containing the 

 " Tableaux " (vol. xiv. of the Quadrupeds) was not published until 

 October 1802. Mr. Pdchmond has since published the whole story in 

 The Auk, vol. xvi. No. 4, October 1899, pp. 325-329. 



Now let me deal with the Buffon first. The edition in question 

 was published in 76 vols. 18 mo, Paris, 1799-1809. It was printed 

 by Plassan, and published by Saugrain. At the conclusion of the 

 35th livraison (vol. xiv. " Quadrupedes," and vol. x. " Poissons "), that is 

 in Oct. 1802, the entire work was purchased by the brothers Didot 

 {Jovrn. Typographiquc, August 25, 1803, p. 358) and reissued with 

 new title-pages, bearing their imprint instead of that of Saugrain, but 

 carrying the same date, viz. 1799, the date in the original issue 

 being expressed, " L'an vii de la Pepublique," and in the Didot issue 

 as "An vii — 1799." The Saugrain title-pages were torn out and the 

 Didot title-pages pasted upon the guard thus left, Didot then issued 

 in 1804 vols, xi.-xiv. of Poissons, and in 1809 vols. i. ii. of Cetaces, 

 thus completing the 76 vols. The copy in the British Museum (Nat. 

 Hist.) is of the second issue, with the exception of vol. i. of the " Quad. 



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