HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF ZOOLOGY 437 



Zoologists are, of course, interested to understand, as far as 

 they can, the phenomena exhibited by the animal kingdom. 

 We have called attention to some of these efforts at explana- 

 tion in Chapter X. 



It will serve to give us the historical perspective which 

 will enable us to better appreciate the great mass of informa- 

 tion available for us to-day, if we pass in brief review the 

 main steps in the development of this body of knowledge. 

 We shall gain thereby some insight into the method of scien- 

 tific research, and shall be helped to see the limitations of 

 our knowledge and to appreciate the problems which are 

 now pressing for solution. 



Zoology among the Greeks and Romans. In our survey we 

 need not go farther back than the time of the Greeks, for it 

 was there, though in no systematic form, that the beginnings 

 of modern zoology were laid. The Greeks' knowledge of 

 animals grew from humble beginnings in an early prehistoric 

 period, and reached its culmination in the philosopher Aris- 

 totle (384-322 B.C., Fig. 230). Though the Greeks early 

 showed a lively scientific curiosity and a desire to explain 

 the world of matter and life by ascribing phenomena to natu- 

 ral causes, they generally failed to appreciate the necessity 

 for careful observation of a long series of individual facts 

 before proceeding to explain those facts by reference to a 

 general law. 



Aristotle's name is the greatest among Greek scientists 

 partly because he appreciated this need. He laid great stress 

 upon the importance of what is called the inductive method 

 in the pursuit of scientific knowledge. This method demands, 

 first, careful observation of a wide range of facts ; second, the 

 study of those facts with reference to each other, to bring 

 out the essential and to eliminate the nonessential elements ; 

 and finally, the explanation of the facts observed, by a. state- 

 ment of the law involved. Aristotle protested against the 



