First Edition. 5 vols. 4to. vol. I, 346 leaves; 25 engraved plates, 2 folded tables; vol. II, 350 leaves, 20 engraved plates; vol.
III, 323 leaves, the last a blank, 34 engraved plates; vol. IV, 386 leaves, 16 engraved plates; vol. V, 2 parts in 1. 437
leaves, 21 engraved plates; engraved headpiece on the first page of text in each volume, printer’s imprint at the end.
Quérard IV, page 356.
Agassiz III, page 399, no. 8.
Dean,
Bibliography of Fishes, II, page 2.
Jefferson’s copy of the
Histoire naturelles des Poissons was bound for him in calf, gilt, by John March in October, 1804, price $11.25 ($2.25 each volume).
Jefferson apparently did not sell to Congress the sixth volume of this work, entered in his manuscript catalogue, but not in the Library of Congress catalogue of 1815.
Volume VI contained the
Histoire Naturelle de Cétacées
, and both it and the
Histoire Naturelle des Poissons were gifts from the author to Jefferson.
On July 25, 1803, Lacépède wrote to Jefferson from Paris: “M. Livington veut bien se charger de faire parvenir à votre excellence, mon histoire naturelle des poissons, dont le cinquième
et dernier volume vient de paroître.
"J’ai l’honneur de vous prier de vouloir bien l’agréer comme un hommage de mon tendre dévouement, de ma très haute considération,
de mon admiration, et de mon respect.”
On February 7, 1804, he sent the sixth volume: “La lettre que j’ai l’honneur d’écrire à votre excellence, vous sera présentée par le général Thureau membre de la légion d’honneur,
et notre ambassadeur auprés de vous. il offrira de ma part à votre excellence, un exemplaire de l’histoire naturelle des cétacées
que je viens de publier. j’ai l’honneur de vous prier, Monsieur le président, de réunir à cet hommage à celui que M. Livingston
a eu la bonté de vous faire parvenir en mon nom à l’exemplaire de l’histoire des poissons, qu’il vous a adressé . . .”
The books were received by Jefferson (through Caspar Wistar) in March, 1804.
On July 14, 1808, Jefferson wrote to Lacépède: “
. . . It is with pleasure I embrace this occasion of returning you my thanks for the favor of your very valuable works sur
les poissons et les cetacées which you were so kind as to send me through m
(
~
r)
Livingston & Gen
l. Turreau, and which I find entirely worthy of your high reputation in the literary world. that I have not sooner made this
acknolegement has not proceeded from any want of respect & attachment to yourself, or a just value of your estimable present,
but from the strong & incessant calls of duty to other objects . . .
”
For a note on Lacépède, see no. 1029 above. This work was originally published in connection with Buffon’s
Histoire Naturelle
.
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42
Not in the Manuscript Catalogue.
1815 Catalogue, page 46. no. 19, Histoire Naturelle du genre humain, par Virey, 2 v 8vo.
VIREY,
Julien Joseph.
Histoire Naturelle du Genre Humain, ou Recherches sur ses principaux Fondemens physiques et moraux; précédées d’un Discours
sur la nature des êtres organiques, et sur l’ensemble de leur physiologie. On y a joint une dissertation sur le sauvage de
l’Aveyron. Avec Figures. Par J. J. Virey . . . Tome Premier [-Second].
A
Paris: de l’Imprimerie de
F. Dufart, An
IX [1801].
GN23 .V79
First Edition. 2 vol. 8vo. vol. I, 217 leaves, 2 folded printed tables; vol. II, 198 leaves, engraved plates in both volumes, printer’s
woodcut device on the title-pages.
Quérard X, 233.
Not in Agassiz.
Surgeon General’s Catalogue II, xx, 265.
Jefferson’s
Notes on Virginia
was one of the source books used by the author. References to this work are given in the footnotes, and Jefferson’s name
included in the list of
principaux Auteurs et Voyageurs cités dans cet Ouvrage.
In a letter to Louis Girardin dated from Monticello July 7, 1814, Jefferson included this author in the list he sent to him from the
catalogue of the latter who was considering disposing of his library.
Julien Joseph Virey, 1775-1846, French doctor and scientist, was a member of the Faculty of Paris, and of several learned societies.
[1051]
