48 MEMOIR OF GESNER. 



tradition and the incidental reports of voyagers, to 

 believe that there are such creatures, of extraordi- 

 nary size and aspect, although opportunities have 

 not occurred of examining them with sufficient care 

 to bring them within the established categories of 

 natural history. The existence of sea-snakes, of 

 enormous volume, has been proved beyond question. 

 But it may be asked, why figure and describe such 

 inhabitants of the " bottom of the monstrous world," 

 until their forms and history can be more accurately 

 ascertained ? The answer of Gesner, which we give 

 in his own w^ords, is judicious and satisfactory. — 

 " Falsas etiam vcl prorsus vel aliqua ex parte ima- 

 gines, illarum rerum, quarum veras adhuc nemo 

 dederit, exhibere, modo nominato authore et nulla 

 dissimulatione id fiat, non est inutile : sed occasio 

 ad inquirendas ab aliquibus, aut communicandas ab 

 eis qui jam habent, veras." 



One of the objects for which this great work of 

 Gesner's may yet be consulted with advantage, is 

 the ascertainment of the names of animals in many 

 different languages. A slight glance at his syno- 

 nyms often reveals the meaning of a common and 

 familiar name, and the transitions through which it 

 has passed before assuming its present form. The 

 name marmot (to take a simple example) does not 

 convey any obvious meaning ; but a very brief 

 synonomy renders it obvious ; mus montanus, Lat. ; 

 marmontana, or contracted, marmota, Ital. ; mur- 

 montain, French^ or adopted from the Italian, mai-- 

 mote ; whence the English name, a literal transla- 



