Barthélemy Faujas de Saint-Fond (1741–1819) abandoned the legal profession to pursue studies in natural history. Appointed a royal commissioner of mines in 1785, he also served as professor of geology at the natural history museum in Paris from 1793 until his death. His keen interest in rocks, minerals and fossils led to a number of important discoveries, among which was confirmation that basalt was a volcanic product. The present work appeared in three parts between 1803 and 1809. The first volume covers the fossils of plants and animals. The second volume was divided into two: the first part discusses rocks, minerals and metals, and the second part classifies volcanic products. Of related interest in the history of geology, Minéralogie des volcans (1784) and the revised English edition of A Journey through England and Scotland to the Hebrides in 1784 (1907) are two other works by Faujas which are also reissued in this series.