Buffon's Natural History. Volume 09 (of 10): Containing a Theory of the Earth, a General History of Man, of the Brute Creation, and of Vegetables, Minerals, &c. &c

In Short

This ninth volume of Comte de Buffon’s sweeping natural history survey systematically classifies a vast array of mammals, focusing heavily on carnivorous quadrupeds, aquatic mammals, and primates. Moving from jackals, sables, and seals to an extensive taxonomy of apes, baboons, and South American monkeys, the text combines empirical observation with traveler accounts. Buffon examines how physical structures, habitats, and environmental factors drive animal behavior, ultimately concluding with a seminal theoretical discussion on how species degenerate and adapt across different climates and continents over time.

The Story

The volume opens with detailed examinations of predatory and scavenge-prone carnivores. Buffon explores the jackal and adil, identifying them as pivotal links between the wolf and the dog. He notes their intense gregariousness, voracious appetites, and tendency to hunt in large packs, while untangling historical misidentifications made by ancient writers like Aristotle. Moving into colder climates, the narrative captures the hunting of sables in Russian forests, highlighting how forced human labor yields prized furs and examining whether the creature leads a semi-amphibious life.

From terrestrial predators, the survey shifts to marine and amphibious mammals. Buffon details the habits of seals, walruses, dugongs, and manatees. He observes how female seals nurture their young on isolated ice floes or sandbanks, teaching them to swim while demonstrating high sagacity and social cohesion. He reflects on their long lifespans, placing seals as a structural bridge between terrestrial quadrupeds and cetaceans. Walruses are analyzed through their massive physical traits, such as their large tusks used for climbing ice and digging up food, alongside their specialized cold-climate survival strategies.

The central and most expansive portion of the volume is devoted to primates. Buffon meticulously constructs a taxonomy of apes, baboons, and monkeys, opening with a comparative study of human and non-human anatomy. He analyzes the orang-outang (or pongo), examining its upright posture, tool use, and physical proximity to human form. He details how local populations interpret these creatures, contrasting Indian descriptions of the "wild man of the woods" with African perspectives. He scrutinizes anatomical studies—such as Edward Tyson’s dissections—to systematically list dozens of structural differences between apes and humans, asserting that despite external similarities, intellect remains the defining human boundary.

The narrative continues through various primate genera, detailing the organized raiding strategies of baboons, the tree-dwelling defense mechanisms against predatory serpents, and the striking physical traits of South American sapajous and sagoins like the silvery mico. Toward the conclusion, Buffon addresses lesser-known and unusual species, including the tree-climbing crab-eater of Cayenne and Libya's long-eared anonymous animal. Finally, the volume culminates in a theoretical synthesis on the "Degeneration of Animals," where Buffon argues that climate, food, and domestication cause species to alter their size, coat, and form across the Old and New Worlds.

How It Unfolds

The carnivores and scavengers Buffon examines the hunting habits, vocalizations, and pack dynamics of jackals and sables, untangling classical terminology from modern observations.

Amphibious giants of the north The narrative transitions to northern waters, analyzing how seals and walruses care for their offspring on ice shoals and utilize their physical structures to navigate marine environments.

Anatomy of the human boundary The text directly compares ape and human anatomy, using detailed structural breakdowns to demonstrate that physical likeness does not equal human intellect.

Behavior of the primate tribes Detailed field observations illustrate how baboons form disciplined lines to raid orchards and how tree-dwelling monkeys evade massive forest serpents.

The oddities of the New World Buffon profiles unique tropical species, such as the crab-eating mammal of Cayenne and the brightly colored mico, relying on reports from international explorers.

The theory of degeneration The volume concludes with a overarching theoretical overview of how climate, soil, and human intervention cause baseline animal species to alter and diversify globally.

The People

Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon The primary authority and author, Buffon seeks to categorize the natural world through rigorous anatomical comparison and empirical synthesis. He constantly evaluates traveler reports against structural logic, striving to establish clear boundaries between species while identifying the environmental mechanisms that alter animal form over time.

Edward Tyson An English anatomist whose precise dissections provide Buffon with crucial empirical data. His comparative anatomical work on the orang-outang allows Buffon to systematically list structural differences between primates and humans, counteracting exaggerated traveler claims with medical precision.

M. de la Condamine An explorer whose firsthand account and preserved specimens supply Buffon with authentic data on obscure South American species, including the striking, vermilion-faced mico observed during voyages along the Amazon River.

Aristotle and Ancient Translators Historical scholars whose early writings serve as a constant point of reference. Buffon frequently critiques or corrects their historical classifications, showing how early misinterpretations of animals like the thos arose from a lack of direct acquaintance with foreign species.

In Its Own Voice

"They may be stiled the ravens among quadrupeds, for they will eat the most infectious flesh."

Buffon illustrates the unrelenting scavenging behavior and voracious appetite of the jackal as it roams in large packs.

"He scarcely differs from man, except not having any calf to his legs; yet he always walks on his hind legs..."

An explorer's account recorded in the text describes the striking upright posture and human-like proportions of the large ape known as the pongo.

"In a domestic state, and in cold and temperate climates, his ears are somewhat pendent, and his bristles are white."

Buffon outlines how simple environmental shifts and human domestication cause observable physical variations within the wild boar species.

What It's Really About

This volume explores the tension between surface resemblances and fundamental biological distinctions. By systematically comparing humans, apes, and lower quadrupeds, Buffon investigates what truly defines human uniqueness beyond physical structure, pinpointing intellect rather than physical form as the dividing line. Beneath its encyclopedic descriptions, the text argues for a dynamic view of nature, proposing that environmental factors like climate, geographic isolation, and food availability actively alter animal forms over generations. It bridges strict observational taxonomy with early evolutionary concepts of adaptation and species variation.

Why Read It Today

Buffon's Natural History (Volume 09) offers a compelling window into 18th-century Enlightenment science as it attempted to map the living world. Readers who enjoy classical naturalism, historical scientific theory, and early biological classification will find rich historical value in these pages. The text carries the charm of early scientific prose—blending meticulous anatomical lists with colorful, dramatic field reports of wild baboons raiding orchards or walruses scaling icebergs.

Reading the work requires patience with historical limitations. Readers must navigate archaic animal nomenclature, repetitive anatomical breakdowns, and 18th-century European perspectives on foreign cultures and environments. Furthermore, Buffon relies heavily on second-hand accounts from sailors and travelers, meaning speculative claims occasionally sit right alongside genuine empirical breakthroughs. Yet, what stays with the reader is Buffon's extraordinary ambition: a grand effort to bring order to nature's vast diversity, laying the foundational concepts of comparative anatomy and environmental adaptation that would shape biological science for centuries to come.