布封是18世纪法国著名的博物学家和作家。他坚持以唯物主义的思想看待地球与生物的起源和发展，被誉为“和大自然一样伟大的天才”。《自然史》是一部博物志，书中以大量的科学观察为基础，从唯物主义的角度对自然界的各种现象做了详细的描述。书中提到的“物种可变”和“进化”的思想对当时的社会具有积极的启蒙作用，也对后来达尔文提出“物种起源”与“进化论”产生了深远影响。
《自然史》原著为法文，共44卷。本版为英国学者James Smith Barr在1797-1807年翻译出版的10卷册，是原著中*精华的部分，主要包括地球的理论、动物史、人类史、家畜驯养史，并简单介绍了矿物和植物等内容。《Natural History（1 自然史 第1卷）》可供生物学、生态学、地质学等专业的高校师生和相关科研人员以及博物爱好者阅读。
在已探知的星球中，唯地球有人类。人类社会和自然界构成了这颗星球的整个世界。人类来源于自然，依赖于自然，不断地探索自然，了解自己从何而来，向何而去？为什么在这万物共生的自然界脱颖而出，成为这个世界的主宰？又怎样与这个世界大家庭和睦相处，适应客观发展？……只有了解过去，才能更好地认识现在；懂得了过去和现在，才能主动地面对未来。历史是最好的教科书，在《地球简史》《人类简史》《时间简史》等纷纷面世的当代，人们不由地把目光又投向260多年前就诞生了的《自然史》，这部洋洋数百万字的旷世巨著，开辟了科学史作的先河，它从行星到地球，从空气到海洋，从动物到人类，……天、地、生、人，无所不包，海、陆、空，面面俱到，是一部记述自然的百科全书。
书中全面论述了地球理论和地球历史，展现了风、火、水、潮、雷、震（地震）、光、热等各种自然现象；对人和生物的论述更是生动形象，丰富多彩。从生命的起源、器官的发育、青春期的特点，到机能的退化，直至死亡，把人类生息繁衍的过程讲得有声有色。对生物，特别是动物的描绘投下了重重笔墨，占据了大量篇幅，天上飞的，地上长的，野生的，驯养的，食肉的，食草的，大到熊、马，小至鼠、兔，畜、禽，鸟、兽，花、草、树、木，样样俱全，活灵活现，既有理性，又有情趣，好像无论哪种野性的动物都可以成为人类的宠物和朋友。法国著名思想家卢梭是这样评价的：“布封以异常平静而又悠然自得的语言歌颂了自然界中所有的重要物品，呈现出造物者的尊严与灵性。他具有那个世纪最美的文笔。”
万物皆有道，自然最奇妙。几乎所有涉及自然的事物都可以从《自然史》汲取营养，得到启示。读这类名著，既能增长知识，丰富阅历，又能赏心悦目，闲情逸致。即使历史已过去了几百年，社会发生了巨变，也未失去这部历史巨著的价值和魅力。这就是一部不朽之作的历史地位。布封在书中提出“物种可变”和“进化”的思想，被生物进化论创始人达尔文称为“以现代科学眼光对待这个问题的第一人”。
哲语说，文如其人。《自然史》的作者布封，全名乔治，路易．勒克莱尔．布封（Georges-Louis Leclerc，Comte de Buffon， 1707-1788），如同他的不朽著作一样，也有一部不寻常的经历。他生于法国，自幼喜好自然科学，特别是数学。1728年法律专业毕业后，又学了两年医学。20岁时就先于牛顿发现了二项式定理；26岁成为法兰西科学院机械部的助理研究员，翻译并出版了英国博物学者海尔斯的著作《植物生理与空气分析》和牛顿的《微积分术》；1739年，32岁的他转为法兰西科学院数学部的副研究员，并被任命为“巴黎皇家植物园及御书房”的总管；1753年成为法兰西科学院院士。他用40年的时间写出了长达36卷的《自然史》，后又由他的学生整理出版了8卷，共44卷。此书一出版，就轰动了欧洲的学术界，各国很快有了译本。1777年，法国政府给布封建了一座铜像，上面写着：“献给和大自然一样伟大的天才。”这是对布封的崇高评价。
《自然史》原著为法文，这里出版的是英国学者James Smith Barr在1797-1807年翻译的英文版10卷册，选取的是原著中最精华的部分。发行这样的英文版高级作品、高级读物，就像外文书籍、外文刊物一样，自然面对的也是高水平的读者和馆藏者，希望他们既可以接近原汁原味地欣赏原著，感受自然的魅力，受到自然科学和文学艺术的熏陶，同时又能自然而然地提高英文素养和写作水平。在广大知识分子外语水平普遍提高的今天，这样的科学传播形式也许会受到越来越多读者的青睐。
THE Theory of the Earth
Proof of the Theory of the Earth
Article Ⅰ On the Formation of the Planets
Article Ⅱ From the System of Whiston
Article Ⅲ From the System of Burnet
Article Ⅳ From the System of Woodward
Article Ⅴ Exposition of some other Systems
Article Ⅵ Geography
Article Ⅶ On the Production of the Strata， or Beds of the Earth
Article Ⅷ O-n Shells， and other Marine Productions found in the interior Parts of the Earth
Article Ⅸ On the Inequalities of the Surface of the Earth
Article Ⅹ Of Rivers
《Natural History（1 自然史 第1卷）》：
These are the principal phenomena of the earth， the result of discoveries made by means of geometry， astronomy， and navigation. We shall not here enter into the detail of the proofs and observations by which those facts have been ascertained， but only make a few remarks to clear up what is still doubtful， and at the same time give our ideas respecting the formation of the planets， and the different changes thro' which it is possible they have passed before they arrived at the state we at present see them.
There have been so many systems and hypotheses framed upon the for-mation of the terrestrial globe， and the changes which it has undergone， that we may presume to add our conjectures to those who have written upon the subject， especially as we mean to support them with a greater degree of prob-ability than has hitherto been done： and we are the more inclined to deliver our opinion upon this subject， from the hope that we shall enable the reader to pronounce on the difference between an hypothesis drawn from possibilities，and a theory founded in facts； between a system， such as we are here about to present， on the formation and original state of the earth， and a physical history of its real condition， which has been given in the preceding discourse.
Galileo having found the laws of falling bodies， and Kepler having observed that the area described by the principal planets in moving round the sun， and those of the satellites round the planets to which they belong， are propor-tionable to the time of their revolutions， and that such periods were also in proportion to the square roots of the cubes of their distances from the sun， or principal planets. Newton found that the force which caused heavy bodies to fall on the surface of the earth， extended to the moon， and retained it in its orbit； that this force diminished in the same proportion as the square of the distance increased， and consequently that the moon is attracted by the earth； that the earth and planets are attracted by the sun； and that in general allbodies which revolve round a centre， and describe areas proportioned to the times of their revolution， are attracted towards that point. This power， known by the name of GRAVITY， is therefore diffused throughout all matter； planets，comets， the sun， the earth， and all nature， is subject to its laws， and it serves as a basis to the general harmony which reigns in the universe. Nothing is better proved in physics than the actual existence of this power in every material sub-stance. Observation has confirmed the effects of this power， and geometrical calculations have determined the quantity and relations of it.This general cause being known， the effects would easily be deduced from it，if the action of the powers which produce it were not too complicated. A single moment's refiection upon the solar system will fully demonstrate the difficulties that have attended this subject； the principal planets are attracted by the sun，and the sun by the planets； the satellites are also attracted by their principal planets， and each planet attracts all the rest， and is attracted by them. All these actions and reactions vary according to the quantities of matter and the distances， and produce great inequalities and irregularities. How is so great a number of connections to be combined and estimated? It appears almost impossible in such a crowd of objects to follow any particular one； nevertheless those difficulties have been surmounted， and calculation has confirmed the suppositions of them， each observation is become a new demonstration， and the systematic order of the universe is laid open to the eyes of all those who can distinguish truth from error.
We feel some little stop， by the force of impulsion remaining unknown； but this， howe'ver， does not by any means affect the general theory. We evidently see the force of attraction always draws the planets towards the sun， they would fall in a perpendicular line， on that planet， if they were not repelled by some other power that obliges them to move in a straight line， and which impulsive force would compel them to fly off the tangents of their respective orbits， if the force of attraction ceased one moment. The force of impulsion was certainly communicated to the planets by the hand of the Almighty， when he gave motion to the universe； but we ought as much as possible to abstain in physics from having recourse to supernatural causes； and it appears that a probable reason may be given for this impulsive force， perfectly accordant with the law of mechanics， and not by any means more astonishing than the changes and revolutions which may and must happen in the universe.
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