Historical 3 



(1553) recorded interesting and accurate ol)servatious on the earth- 

 worm and lugworni, and on their liabits. This is the tirst definite 

 mention of the Ingworm, whicli Belon named Lumhricua mnrinns in 

 contradistinction to the earthworm (L. terrestrU). 



The work of liondeletius (1554, 1555) surpasses that of any 

 previous writer. Evidently a keen observer, especially nf niainne 

 animals, IJondeletius described, and gave good woodcuts of, two kinds 

 of Scolojx'ndrae marinac, Hirudo marina, Vermis mieroryncliotcros and 

 Vermis macrorynchoteros [two Sipunculids], Vermes in tnhulis delites- 

 ccntcs [Serpulids] and Pcnicilkts marimis [a Sabellid].^ In a further 

 paragraph on marine worms - — " I)e vermibus stagni marini " — he 

 gave a short account of " Lumbrici stagni," and in another place ^ 

 referred to Lnmhricns marinus as being similar to Lnmhricus terrenus. 

 His figures are, in most cases, faithful representations and were 

 freely copied by (lesner, Aldrovaudus and others. Rondeletius 

 added notes on the use in medicine of some of the worms. Gesner's 

 treatise (1558)* is, at any rate as regards the articles on worms, a 

 compilation from the works of previous writers, especially Belon and 

 liondeletius. 



Some of the later authors above mentioned, for example, Eonde- 

 letius, without proposing any systematic classification of animals, so 

 arranged those which they described as to indicate the possession 

 of some idea of their affinities. One of the earliest classifications 

 in whicli worms are included is tlie tabular statement of the 

 subdivisions of " Insects " given by Aldrovandus at the beginning 

 of his treatise "De Animalibus Insectis "(1602). In this Table 



" Insects " are divided into " Terrestria " and " Aquatica," and 

 each of these is again divided, according to the presence or 

 absence of feet. Among the Terrestria without feet are Lumhricus 

 terrestris and worms found in man and animals ; among the 

 " Aquatica I'edata " are Scolopendra marina and " Vermes in tubulis 

 delitescentes " [Serpulids] ; in the subdivision " Aquatica apoda " are 

 Seta aquatit'ct [Gordius], Hirudo paludosa and marina, Lvmbricus 



marinus. Vermis macrorinchoteros and Vermis microrinclioteros 

 [Sipunculids described by Rondeletius]. Liber \\ — " De Vermibus " 

 — of the treatise of Aldrovandus deals with the Terrestria Apoda, 

 including Lumhricus terrestris and parasitic worms, but does not 



' Univ. Aquatil. Hist., pars altera, Lugduni (1555), Liber de Insect, et 

 Zooph., pp. 108-111. 

 2 Ojy. cU., p. 145. 



* Libri de Piscibue Marinis, Lugduni (1554), p. 399. 

 ' Hist. Aniro., Liber iiii, Tiguri (1558), pp. 503, 513, 597, 818, 1226, 1227. 



B 2 



