Lacepede’s ‘“ Tableaux . . . des Mammiferes et 
des Oiseaux,” 1799. 
By ©. Davies SHERBORN. 
In Natural Science for December 1897 (p. 432) there will be found a 
letter by me upon Laceptde’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. 
tichmond of the United States National Museum, pointing out that 
according to the Journal Typographique 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. Richmond 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. 18mo, Paris, 1799-1809. It was printed 
by Plassan, and published by Sauerain. At the conclusion of the 
35th livraison (vol. xiv. “ Quadrupédes,” and vol. x. “ Poissons ”), that is 
in Oct. 1802, the entire work was purchased by the brothers Didot 
(Journ. Typographique, 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 République,” 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 Cétacés, 
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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