Author: Cuvier, G. and A. [T.] Brongniart
Title: Essai sur la géographie minéralogique des environs de Paris. Proof copy of the introductions, with corrections by Brogniart.
Description: Paris, Institut Impériale de France, [1809 or 1810]. 4to (25.0 x 20.0 cm). 33 pp. Not bound. In a 20th century blue hardcover paper drop-box (26.8 x 22.0 cm) with printed label on the top board. = A unique proof printing with several corrections by Brongniart. See DSB: "In 1804, wanting to place the Montmartre bed of fossil formations in time, Cuvier, with Brongniart, began research that led to Géographie minéralogique des environs de Paris (1808, 1811), which was rewritten and greatly expanded as Description géologique des environs de Paris (1822, 1835). In this work, a landmark in the history of geology, Cuvier played a lesser role. Brongniart did the necessary fieldwork, drawing his inspiration from the works of Buffon, Soulavie, Ramond, Palassu, especially Lamarck; the latter had described the fossil invertebrates of the Paris region and, in his Hydrogéologie (1802), had set forth the bases of the theory of "current causes", later developed by Constant Prévost. Cuvier, respecting the short chronology of the Bible, was forced to assume, in addition to "current causes", which act very slowly, rapid catastrophes and global upheavals which had no basis in fact". This proof was based upon the 1808 text, published in the Annales du Muséum d'Histoire naturelle, volume XI, pp. 293-326. We have added a few pages, in photocopy, of the final text, for comparison. A few small spots on the first and last leaves, otherwise a very good, clean copy. DSB 3, p. 526; Ward and Carozzi, 564.

Keywords: