Attractive black and white copperplate engraving entitled L’Ani ou Bout de Tabac, published in Paris in the year 1780. 

The Ani is an American tribe of cuckoos commonly found in the Caribbean. These dark-colored birds are often found nesting in groups and are insectivores. Some are even known to feed on lizards and frogs.

Artist: Comte de Buffon

Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707-1788) was a highly influential French naturalist who wrote the important work Histoire Naturelle which was the most complete work on natural history up until that time. Comte de Buffon was an influence on later important scientists including Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Georges Cuvier. Comte de Buffon is considered the “father of all thought in natural history in the second half of the 18th century” by historians.

Histoire Naturelle by Comte de Buffon was published in 1780 in 36 volumes and continued to be improved upon after the author’s death. The massive work was a complete overview and record of the natural sciences up until the late 18th century, including physics, chemistry, technology, and biology. It is considered an early form of the encyclopedia.