[VAUTOURS]. HÉBERT. Autograph manuscript (with corrections) - Lot 76

Lot 76
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[VAUTOURS]. HÉBERT. Autograph manuscript (with corrections) - Lot 76
[VAUTOURS]. HÉBERT. Autograph manuscript (with corrections) intended for Buffon. 4 pp. in-folio with corrections. Circa 1780. Manuscript entitled: "Vautours de l'isle de Malthe - Observations sur un oiseau qu'on voit assez communément dans les montagnes de Bugey surtout au printems" (Vultures on the Isle of Malthe - Observations on a bird commonly seen in the Bugey mountains, especially in spring), with the words "faites par M. Hébert mon père" (made by Mr. Hébert, my father) in the hand of Hébert's son. "I had one of these birds raised close enough to me to be fully confirmed in the idea I had of the length of its beak, and to be certain that it had almost no tail. Apart from that, this time I thought he was a bird of prey; as long as he stayed put, I thought he was a small eagle. It is tawny brown on the back, with a very light tawny underbelly and wings [...]". This study was intended for Buffon, as can be seen at the end of the text: "Whatever the bird I have just described to you, I can assure you, sir, that it is no rarer in Bugey than eagles and falcons. I have seen it in several places in this province quite far apart [...]. It is certainly the bird that Belon described so well under the name of Sacre d'Egipte, and whose description you reported; you can compare it with mine. I had written it long before I read your work, which is why I'm giving it to you without cutting anything out. It would surely have helped you to find a species that I believe to be fairly widespread, although quite rare in France [...]. I believe it is a distinct species, quite different from the vulture. This bird resembles the vultures I have been shown much less than a balbusar resembles an eagle [...]". Two color engravings of vultures are included.
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