BUFFON. 133 



by the great changes in land and sea, by the favours 

 or disfavours of Nature, by food, by the prolonged 

 influences of climate, contrary or favourable, are no 

 longer what they formerly were." Again he says : 

 " One is surprised at the rapidity with which species 

 vary, and the facility with which they lose their 

 primitive characteristics in assuming new forms." 



We are tempted to translate the term ' dena- 

 ttirees' by our modern term 'evolved,' since, as we 

 see above, Buffon embraced in it the two modern 

 ideas of development {' perfectionnement') and de- 

 generation i^ degeneration '). But this would convey 

 a broader conception than seems to have been at 

 any time in his mind ; for, by the express use of 

 ' denatur'ees'^ he gives us an insight into the limits 

 of his conception. He could not wholly shake off 

 the idea that each species was originally a special 

 type, as impressed by the Creator, containing some 

 ineffaceable and permanent characters, and that 

 variation consisted in the departure from these 

 natural and original characters. Thus he was 

 deeply impressed with the fixity of type impression 

 among the larger animals, such as the quadrupeds, 

 believing them to be comparatively invariable. 

 Throughout Buffon's writings we find this waver- 

 ing between the science of Genesis and the evidence 

 of zoology. It is sometimes expressed in para- 

 graphs which closely follow one another, wherein it 

 is difficult to decide whether Buffon is ironical or 

 not. Referring, in one instance, to his idea of unity 



