Very scarce first edition, issued in a small printing, of this offprint from the Annales des Sciences naturelles for September 1828 (cf. Engelmann I, 315).
This paper is preceded by "Extrait du rapport fait à l’Académie royale des sciences sur le mémoire présenté par MM. Audouin et Milne-Edwards, par MM. Cuvier et Duméril".
The CCF records only two copies, in Paris (Muséum) and Montpellier.
The author of several entomological papers published from 1821 onwards, Victor Audouin also took an interest in marine biology: in 1826, 1828 and 1829 he undertook, together with Henri Milne-Edwards, three field trips to Brittany and Normandy.
The present article summarises the observations made by the two young naturalists on Ascidians, Flustra, Pennatulidae, Alcyonaria, Sponges, Polyps, etc.
The preliminary report by Cuvier and Duméril expresses a highly favourable opinion of their research.
A handsome copy, bearing on the upper wrapper a presentation inscription in the hand of Henri Milne-Edwards: « Monsieur Dutrochet, de la part des auteurs ».
A physician, botanist and physiologist, Henri Dutrochet (1776–1847) is remembered for his discovery of osmotic phenomena: his « Nouvelles recherches sur l’endosmose et l’exosmose » appeared in 1828.