5 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



their note-books, to write down at my dictation whatever occurred 

 to me." 



It is the great distinction of Gesner that, without sacrificing 

 the dignity of science, he made it attractive, and thus became a 

 great educational influence. His contemporary and friend, Diirer, 

 has been called the " evangelist of art," and the title of " evangel- 

 ist of science " might with equal propriety be applied to him, for 



Fig. 2. 



he is one of the foremost representatives of that time of intense 

 and contagious industry " when art was still religion." 



The modern world takes morbid interest in the crudity and 

 errors of early writers on science, and we are in no danger of 

 forgetting their views on griffins and krakens, on goose barnacles 

 and spontaneous generation. Their merits are less interesting 

 and seem too antiquated and too far below our mark to be notable 

 simply as good, faithful work. 



The demands of current scientific literature leave us no time 

 for the ponderous volumes of ancient writers, but if we had time 

 to spare we should find in many of them both pleasure and profit, 

 although it is quite true that their value as sources of scientific 

 knowledge has passed away, and that later writers have helped 

 themselves to all that is best in them, and have passed it on to us. 



One of Gesner's greatest services to natural science is the 

 introduction of good illustrations, which he gives his reader by 

 hundreds. 



Work under his severe scrutiny was a valuable training to the 

 draughtsman and engraver of his day, and the publication of hi? 



