Paris, D. Dumoulin, 1891. 8vo (23.6 x 15.5 cm). ix, 256 pp. Original printed wrappers.

The biography and bibliography of one the most controversial malacologists of the 19th century, the founder of the Nouvelle École, Jules-René Bourguignat (1829-1892). This work is attributed to the French malacologist Georges Servain (1846-after 1891), but known to be written by Bourguignat himself. The Nouvelle École proposed that species did not really exist, but were merely a man-made concept, and to be rightfully named, a shell should differ from similar ones in at least three characters. In practice, this meant that many infrasubspecific groups were named, including colour forms, teratological specimens, or just specimens that happened to be at the extreme end of a biological species' variability. Bourguignat's approach was much condemned during the mid-20th century (see, e.g., Dance). However, when molecular data became available in the late 20th century, many a Nouvelle École synonym turned out to be a valid species or subspecies after all. This work lists 115 papers by Bourguignat, and a list of his new genera (with derivations) and species. Uncut. Binding broken; small dampstain in outer corner of the lower margin, this corner chipped in the last few leaves, otherwise very good, complete. Cat. BM(NH), p. 216; Dance, S. P. (1968) J. R. Bourguignat's Malacologie de l'Algérie, 1863-4 (in J. Soc. Biblphy nat. Hist.5).