V2(j Dr. Maton's and Mr. Rackett's 



considerable, to detail what was known by his predecessors, with- 

 out making additions of his own. With regard to system, Gesner 

 trod pretty nearly in the steps of Aristotle. In making a fourth 

 class, denominated Jnomala, he can scarcely be said to have im- 

 proved the arrangement of the Grecian philosopher; and even if 

 his s:encra of B<i/ani, Venkilhe marincc, Tubiili marini, and Echini, 

 can be considered as more properly placed here than in any one 

 of the x\ristotelian classes, it was certainly very injudicious to 

 include the Stelhemarinceandi Meditace among Testaceous animals. 



LINOCIER, 



the well-known copyist of Gesner, gives a brief account of a few 



shells, w ith figures, in his " Histoire des Foissons." 



IMPERATO. 



Francesco lm})crato was the editor of a work on natural history 

 composed principally by his father. The figures, which are far 

 from beino- either riule or incorrect, relate principally to fossils : 

 they are few in number, l^ut the description of shells occupies 

 several pages, and, though devoid of system, proves the author 

 to have paid considerable attention to this branch of zoology. 

 Besides oivine the labours of his father to the world, Francesco 

 published two treatises of his own, one entitled " de Fo,ss/Ubi/s 

 Opiisciilum," and another, '' Discorsi intorno a diverse CoseNatiirali." 

 Both of these came from the press at Naples, and deserved, as 

 well as the work first mentioned, to be considered as very respect- 

 able additions to the scientific literature of that day. The treatise 

 on Fossils contains some figures under the correspondent descrip- 

 tions; but the miscellaneous work is destitute of any, and indeed 

 does not treat particularly either of recent or of fossil shells. 



ALDRO- 



