DIDEROT (Denis). Thoughts on the interpretation of nature. sl, sn, 1754. In-12 of [1] f. title, [2] ff. (To the young people who are preparing themselves for the study of natural philosophy), pp. [3]-206 (actually 240), [6] ff. marbled calf, smooth spine decorated, title-page in maroon, red pages (contemporary binding). Rare first edition, second printing, the first to be put on the market, enlarged compared to the very rare first edition of 1753 (of which only 2 or 3 copies are known). These 2 editions are in fact two successive states of the same edition, modified and enlarged by an important binding. "Same work as the previous one [the original edition of 1753 "De l'Interprétation de la nature"] with a slightly different title which indicates the important transformations and increases of the text." Tchemerzine. The first 72 pp. are identical to the 72 pp. of 1753, line for line. From page 73 onwards, whereas in 1753 the pagination continues normally, it continues in leaves up to 100, which gives 28 ff. in which the text is reworked and increased considerably. Conforms in all respects to the detailed description of Tchemerzine. Some damp stains (small purple spots) on the first and last leaves, otherwise a very good copy. (Tchemerzine IV, 442-444).