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research by means of observations and experiments, the home of which, 

 naturally, was the universities, so at this early date the Italian universi- 

 ties conducted comparative anatomical inquiry into the animals next to 

 man in the scale. 



In the 17th century these experimenters began to band themselves 

 into societies for mutual support and intercourse, and academies were 

 founded whose philosophical spirit soon spread from such centres to the 

 nation. At Naples, in 1650, was founded the first of such academies, 

 which srill survives and retains its name, " Academia Naturae Curio- 

 sorum." 



In 1662, "The Royal Society." of London,- England, was incor- 

 porated by royal charter. A little later Louis XIV. founded "The 

 Academy of Sciences of Paris." 



The dogma of the isolated student of science was restrained, and 

 dogmatic views were rapidly dispelled by argument and the agreement 

 to adrnu, as truth only that which was the result of observation or 

 mathematical calculation. 



The influence of these great academies in bringing together the 

 collectors, the museum men, and the systematic anatomists, was soon 

 felt in the field of progress of Zoology, and placed it now, for the first 

 time, on a plane nearer the rational one from which botany had been 

 viewed. 



By an examination of the early records of the Royal Society it is 

 noticed that marvellous relations were not permitted at its meetings, 

 but solely demonstrable experiments or the exhibition of the actual 

 specimen. Under the light and influence of such strict inquiry, witch- 

 craft, alchemy, and other mediaeval relics of superstition disappeared and 

 vanished from public belief like snow before a July sun. But a host 

 of new wonders had accumulated which were substituted, being truth 

 demonstrable by accurate observation. 



The progress of the 18th century perhaps culminated in the great 

 Swedish Naturalist, Linnaeus, while such men as John Hunter and 

 Ray undertook the task of examining the anatomical structure of the 

 whole animal kingdom and classifying its members by the results of 

 such profound study. 



The invention and perfecting of the microscope in the 19th century 



