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Show 582 MESSRS. 0. D. SHERBORN AND B. B. WOODWARD ON [June 20, 6. On the Dates of the 'Encyclopedic Methodique' By C. DAVIES SHERBORN and B. B. WOODWARD. [Eeceived June 15, 1893.] The exact dates of publication of the separate parts of this remarkable Encyclopedia, which first began to appear in 1782, and was not completed until almost the middle of this century, have been a constant source of trouble to zoologists. The most diligent search has failed to bring to light particulars of the original parts and their contents, and only now and then can any such facts be established. For instance, the 50th livraison was published on the 23rd July, 1792, but we are by no means certain of its contents. The following determinations are the results of a search extended over many months, of a careful consideration of the views of others, and of a personal page by page observation by Mr. Sherborn while compiling his ' Index Gen. et Spec' In arriving at these conclusions we have been indebted to the writings or communications of the following authors :-Moquin- Tandon, G. Dollfus, H . E. Dresser, A. Newton, R. Bowdler Sharpe, Salvadori, F. H . Waterhouse, Edgar Smith, W . F. Kirby, and others. W e have decided to arrange the ' Encyclopedie' according to the method employed in the General Library of the British Museum (Natural History), as that has been found most convenient. Considerable confusion has been caused by writers who have treated portions of this book as separate publications and have quoted them as such. W e refer to Desmarest's ' Mammalogie,' Bonna-terre's ' Cetologie,' ' Erpetologie,' etc., and Bonnaterre and Vieillot's ' Ornithologie.' In order to avoid such confusion in the future, we would suggest the following as a satisfactory method of quotation :- A. G. Desmarest, Enc. Meth. (Mamm.) (1), 1820, p. - . G. P. Deshayes, Enc. Meth. (Vers) ii. (2), 1831, p. -. 'The following is the result of our investigations:- ZOOLOGY.-Text. Tom. I. Hist. Nat. des Animaux. By Daubenton, edited from Buffon: pp. i-xcii, 1-230. 1782. Ornithologie, by Mauduyt: pp. 231-691. 1782. Tom. II. Ornithologie, by Mauduyt: pp. 1-544. 1784. Anim. Quad, ovipares, et les Serpens, by Daubenton: pp. 545-712. 1784. Tom. III. Poissons, by Daubenton : pp. i-lx, 1-435. 1787. [Note.-To the "Animaux" and "Oiseaux" no specific names are appended ; to the " Quad, ovip.," the " Serpens," and the "Poissons" the genera and species of earlier authors are appended, but no new names are given and precedence is given to the French version.] |