MEMOIR OF RONDELET. 



[n his historical sketch of the progress of Ichthy- 

 ology, — the department of Natural History in which 

 Rondelet's reputation has been acquired, — Baron 

 Cuvier recognises three principal epochs, the first 

 of which may be indicated by the name of Aristotle> 

 who collected the scattered information of previous 

 ages and gave it some degree of' consistency and 

 method ; the second dates from the middle of the 

 sixteenth century, when a small band of original 

 observers took ap the subject in a more philosophi- 

 cal manner, and paved the way for the third grand 

 epoch, signalised by the names of Artedi and Lin- 

 na&us, jn which, by the introduction of a correct 

 nomenclature and a lucid system of arrangement, 

 the permanent foundations of the science were at 

 lenorth laid. The individuals whose labours consti- 

 tuted the second era, are chiefly Salviani^'Belon, 

 and Rondelet, and this triumvirate were seconded 

 by others, such as Gesner, Aldrovandi, and a few 

 others.^f comparatively li tie rcj)ute. Tlio works 

 of the former appeared nearly at tlic r<ain<? time,, 



