BUFFON 143 



In 1749 appeared his Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux, 

 in eight volumes and six supplements a beautiful illus- 

 trated work, in which is painted in glowing colours the 

 manners and habits of birds. In particular and minute 

 observation he excelled, and by his indefatigable researches 

 he made most valuable additions to science. 



Buffon rejected the principles of classifications in use 

 in his day, and threw his subjects into groups. He was 

 not free from bias, and his prepossession for a favourite 

 doctrine led him astray. He rejected the works on 

 classification of Ray, Tournefort, Bernard de Jussieu, and 

 Linnaeus ; but in his Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux he 

 felt more and more the necessity of arranging birds 

 according to their affinities. 



In 1774 Buffon published his Histoire des Miner aux 

 a work of great importance and value. 



The same year that Voltaire and Rousseau died, Buffon 

 ended his labours, and joined the majority on 16th April 

 1778. His last words to his son were : "Never quit the 

 path of honour and of virtue ; it is the only way to be 

 happy." He was buried with public honours in the 

 Cimetiere du Pere la Chaise. 



He died one year before the advent of the French 

 Revolution, and his only son was guillotined fifteen 

 days before the fall of Robespierre. During the Reign 

 of Terror the remains of the great zoologist were torn 

 from the tomb, and the monument which was erected to 



