William Smellie (1740-1795) was a Scottish encyclopedist and naturalist and the editor of the first edition of Encyclopædia Britannica (1768-1771). He is also noted for his English translation of the famous Histoire Naturelle of the French naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon. He was a respected scholar and in 1779 was nominated to be the University of Edinburgh's Professor of Natural History. Due to politics, the post was awarded to Dr John Walker. Smellie continued to publish a wide variety of works, including his two volume Philosophy of Natural History - which became a set text at Harvard University in the nineteenth century.

1740 births | 1795 deaths | Encyclopedists | Scottish naturalists

Смелли, Уильям (энциклопедист)