'''William Smellie''' (born Edinburgh, Scotland 1740, died Edinburgh June_24, 1795) was a Scottish Encyclopedist and naturalist. He edited the first edition of ''Encyclopædia_Britannica'' (1768-1771). Also, he is noted for his English translation of the famous ''Histoire Naturelle'' of the French naturalist Georges-Louis_Leclerc,_Comte_de_Buffon. Smellie 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. {{Scotland-bio-stub}} Smellie, William Smellie, William Smellie, William Smellie Ru:Смелли,_Уильям_(энциклопедист)