Mar. 31, 1908. The Queensland Naturalist, 
5 
part — appeared in more than one edition, but was also 
issued in an abridged torm both in France and England, 
and had — it is affirmed — a most powerful effect in stimula- 
ting a love of nature. 
The Manuel du Naturaliste, that lie wrote in 1771, 
a vade mecum occupying two small volumes, exerted a 
like tendency. Both these proclaimed Buffon to be a 
descriptive naturalist of a very liigh order. 
But, in addition to being a descriptive naturalist, 
paying great attention to each animal species and its 
structure, this French savant manifested special aptitude 
for sagacious speculation, anticipating thus the conclusions 
of a later age. 
Taine (c/. Les Origines de la France Oontemporaine — 
The Ancient Regime, 1876), coupling his name with that 
of a famous successor in zoological inquiries, in alluding 
to his achievements in this field, sums up his contributions 
to the philosophy of nature, as the outcome of this effort 
of pure reason, in words as follows : — 
‘‘ Buffon already and especially Lajua.rck. in their great 
and incomplete sketches, outline with penetrating divina- 
tion the leading features of jnodern physiology and 
zoology ” . . . . and tlms concludes liis proposition : 
“ In the picture which the human mind draws of nature, 
the general outline is marked by the science of the eighteenth 
century, the arrangement of its plan and of the principal 
masses being so correctly marked, that to-day the leading 
lines remain intact. With the exception of a few partial 
corrections, we have nothing to efface.'’ — Op, cit., p. 173. 
This position accorded to Buffon, and that almost all 
succeeding naturalists have failed to acknowledge, received 
— it may be here pointed out — worthy recognition at the 
hands of St. G. Mivart, at the 1879 meeting of the British 
Association for the Advancement of Science, in liis Presi- 
dential Address before the Section of Biology. 
These general views of nature on the part of Buffon, 
find expression in his great work. Le Histoire Nalnrelle, 
but they are to be especialty met with in his “Theorie de la 
Terre” (1749), and his “ Epoques de la Nature” (1788), 
marking the two extremes of his literary activity. 
They are, however, too extensive to be treated of on 
the present occasion, but amongst important features that 
they relate to, may be mentioned the following ones 
(1) the history of the earth, from its molten condition to the 
dawn of life thereon ; (2) the origin of animal species 
(Buffon took up the position that all animals originated 
from a small number of primary forms) ; (3) Animal varia- 
tion and specific change (in which he recognised as casual 
agents : (a) migration with isolation (?>) direct action of 
external conditions — including alte’’ations aliment and 
