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（5 自然史第5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，Comtede 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。
History of the Brute Creation
Chap．I．Of the Nature of Animals
Homo duplex
Chap．II．Of Domestic Animals
The Horse
The Ass
The Ox
The Sheep
The Goat
The Swine， the Hog of Siam，and the Wild Boar
The Dog
《Natural History（5 自然史第5卷）》：
THE interior man is double， being composed of two principles different in their nature， and contrary in their action. The soul， that principle of all knowledge， is perpetually opposed by another purely material principle. The former is a pure light， accompanied with serenity and peace， a salutary source， whence flow science， reason， and wisdom； the latter is a false light， which never shines but in the midst of darkness and hurricane， an impetuous torrent fraught with error and passion.
The animal principle is first developed. As it is altogether material， and consists in the duration of vibrations， and the renovation of impressions formed in the internal material sense， by objects analogous， or contrary to our appetites， it begins to act as soon as the body is capable of feeling pain or pleasure. The spiritual principle manifests itself much later， and is developed and perfected by means of education； it is by the communication of the thoughts of others that the infant becomes a thinking， a rational being； and without this communication it would be fantastic or stupid， according to the degree of activity or inactivity of its internal material sense.
Let us consider a child， when at liberty， and far from the eye of his master. By his exterior actions we may judge of what passes within him. A stranger to thought or reflection， he acts without reason； treads with indifference through all the paths of pleasure； obeys all the impressions of exterior objects； amuses himself like a young animal， in running and bodily exercise； all his actions and motions are without order， or design. Called on by the person who has taught him to think， he composes himself， directs his actions， and proves that he has retained the thoughts which have been communicated to him. In infancy， the material principle is predominant， and would so continue， were not education to develop the spiritual principle and to put it in motion.
The existence of these two principles is easily discovered. In life there are moments， nay， hours and days， in which we may not only determine of the certainty of their existence， but also of the contrariety of their action. I allude to those periods of languor， indolence， or disgust， in which we are incapable of any determination， when we wish one thing and do another； I mean that state， or distemper， called vapours； a state to which idle persons are so peculiarly subject. If in this situation we observe ourselves， we shall appear as divided into two distinct beings， of which the first， or the rational faculty， blames every thing done by the second， but has not strength sufficient effectually to subdue it； the second， on the contrary， being formed of all the illusions of sense and imagination， constrains， and often overwhelms the first， and makes us either act contrary to our judgment， or remain inactive， though disposed to action by our will.
While the rational faculties reign， we are calmly occupied with ourselves， our friends， and affairs. But when the material principle prevails， we devote ourselves with ardour to dissipation， to all the pursuits and passions it creates； and are hardly capable of reflecting upon the very objects by which we are so engrossed. In both these states we are happy； in the former we command with satisfaction， and in the latter， we are still more pleased to obey. As only one of these principles is then in action， and acts without opposition from the other， we feel no internal contrariety； our self appears to be simple， because we experience but one impulse. In this unity of action consists our happiness； for， whenever our reason condemns our passions， or， from the violence of our passions， we attempt to discard reason， from that minute we cease to be happy； the unity of our existence， in which consists our tranquillity， is destroyed； the internal contrariety commences， and the two contending principles are manifested by doubts， inquietude and remorse. Of all states， that is the most unhappy in which these two sovereign powers of human nature are both in full motion， and produce an equilibrium. Then it is man feels that horrible disgust which leaves no desire but that of ceasing to exist， no power but to effect his own destruction， by coolly plunging into himself the weapons of despair and madness. What a state of horror! in its blackest colours it is here presented； but by how many gloomy shades must it be preceded?
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