M A M iM A L I A. 



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they now appear, the works of Aristotle are reall) 

 vitiated ; because, while in one place they display the 

 most cautious and scrutinising philosophy, where, to 

 a less powerful mind, there might have been the 

 most ample scope for romance, they in other places 

 display abundant romance and absurdity upon sub 

 jects where it would not have required the genius o: 

 an Aristotle to see the truth. It is pretty evident 

 however, that the present order of his writings is not 

 the original one in which they were given ; and there 

 is reason to suspect that many spurious passages 

 have been interpolated both by ignorant and by de- 

 signing transcribers, and also that much of the sterling 

 matter has been lost in the course of time. These 

 evils are no doubt much increased by the circumstance 

 of Aristotle not being really the author of these works 

 which have been handed down to us under his name. 

 He was too much occupied in study for being an 

 author ; and thus he himself committed but little to 

 writing ; and accordingly, the works which bear his 

 name were compiled after his death ; in addition to 

 which, they were, subsequently mangled by a host of 

 commentators. 



Under all these disadvantages we must view the 

 labours of this illustrious expounder of nature ; and 

 even then all that has come down to us is a mere 

 frairment. He is understood to have composed fifty 

 volumes or books on the history of animated nature ; 

 but of these only nine have been preserved. He 

 lays down in his writings certain points of difference 

 and resemblance observable among different ani- 

 mals, and then notices historically, and in detail, their 

 general relations and characters. The sensible cha- 

 racters he deduces from the size, colour, and other 

 external characteristics of the animal ; from the num- 

 ber and position of its members, their dimensions, 

 movements, and forms, with their comparative ana- 

 logies or discrepancies ; and illustrates his statements 

 by numerous examples. His remarks also on their 

 niodes of life, their general economy, and various 

 functions, seem to have been the result of the most 

 accurate observation ; and some of his positions which 

 we once considered either fabulous or erroneous, have, 

 on mature investigation, been found to be in perfect 

 accordance with the phenomena of nature. He is 

 believed to have been engaged in the dissection of 

 animals, either with his own hands or by an assistant ; 

 and when the versatility of his talent, his unwearied 

 diligence and research in acquiring an intimate know- 

 ledge of his subject in whole and in detail, is taken 

 into account, it is not to be wondered at that many 

 of his observations should stand the test of the strictest 

 scrutiny, and that the student of natural history 

 should still approach with reverence the relics of a 

 system of which this great man may be said to have 

 been the founder. 



In point of eminence among the ancients, Pliny 

 stands next to Aristotle ; but he was a genius of very 

 dilFerent character ; for if Aristotle may be styled the 

 father of inquiring and scrutinising naturalists, Pliny 

 equally deserves the name of the father of compilers ; 

 and upon every branch of knowledge connected with 

 nature, we are indebted to Pliny for a vast number 

 of valuable observations, which otherwise would have 

 been lost, so that one knows not whether most to 

 admire the original acumen of Aristotle, or the second- 

 hand laboriousness of Pliny. The variety and extent 

 of his information is proved by the numerous host of 

 authors whom he quotes ; and he himself tells us 

 NAT. HIST. VOL. III. 



that his materials were extracted from two thousand 

 volumes, which circumstance gives one some idea of 

 the extent of his reading. The preface or dedication 

 of his celebrated work addressed to Vespasian, 

 though not altogether devoid of pedantry and con- 

 ceit, exhibits every internal symptom of genuineness ; 

 but. the first book, which consists of little else than a 

 table of contents and authorities, is of a great deal 

 more questionable authenticity. In one point of view 

 the work may be considered as perfectly methodical. 

 It begins with a general survey of the universe, em- 

 braces a geographical account of the terraqueous 

 globe, of the history of man, of aquatic and terrestrial 

 animals, of vegetables and minerals, of medicine and 

 the arts, together with a vast variety of collateral 

 and incidental subjects ; and the entire production, 

 even in some of its less interesting parts, is inter- 

 spersed with anecdotes and philosophical reflections 

 of at least a very pleasing character. It is true that 

 large portions of the work can be considered only as 

 compilations from the productions of others ; but its 

 general arrangement, as well as some of the details, 

 together with its bold and nervous style, stamp the 

 performance with an originality and dignity of exe- 

 cution. The style, however cannot be said to be 

 either so pure or correct as it is bold and nervous. 

 There is a striking combination of scepticism and 

 credulity manifested on some occasions ; but the 

 marvellous stories recited by the author are generally 

 founded on the testimonies of others ; while those 

 matters which have come within the scope of his own 

 personal observation, are faithfully described, and 

 there does not seem to be the least intention on his 

 part to lead the reader astray. Some of Pliny's 

 assertions also, which were formerly viewed as 

 fabulous, have been corroborated by more recent 

 observation and experience. 



Oppian, in his poem of Cynegeticon, describes the 

 manners, dispositions, and economy of many of the 

 quadrupeds, which he introduces in lively colours ; 

 and though the nature of his work does not admit, of 

 anything like systematic observance of order in their 

 classification, he shows an intimate acquaintance with 

 the principle on which this ought to be based. He 

 enerally rejects those stories which are tinctured 

 with the marvellous, though a poet of a fanciful 

 magination. 



/Elian wrote a treatise " On the Nature of Ani- 

 mals," consisting of seventeen books ; but it is totally 

 destitute of arrangement, and outrages every prin- 

 ciple even of nomenclature and truth of description, 

 indeed, the only subject the writer seems to have had 

 n view is, to exhibit the manners of animals with 

 elation more or less aimed at the moral qua- 

 ities of mankind ; and with a few undeniable facts 

 ic mixes up a variety of fictitious matter. He how- 

 ver, takes care generally to quote the authority on 

 which he gives these fictions ; and is at some pains 

 to impress upon the reader his own want of faith in 

 them. 



In the dark ages which followed the downfal of the 

 Roman empire, and buried the human mind for a long 

 time in the very depths of superstition, natural history 

 was as much neglected as any other of the sciences. 

 Among the most celebrated of its restorers, it would 

 be injustice to pass over the name of Conrad Gesner, 

 whom the celebrated Boerhaave styles " a monster of 

 erudition ;" naturally feeble in body, and rendered 

 still more so by his experiments, the life of this illus- 

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