48 THE NEW BIOLOGY 



matters of biological fact. The encyclopredic naturalists 

 were far more eager to amass information than to sift it. 

 Their works are now and then languidly turned over by 

 some historian of science, who perhaps collects singular 

 fables as indications of the prevailing state of knowledge, 

 until at length he sweeps the whole away as futile, 

 remembering that obsolete encyclopaedias, which reflect, 

 not the opinions of the age in which they were compiled, 

 but a medley of opinions of all preceding ages, are not 

 of much value, even as historical documents. 



The best of the encyclopaedic naturalists of the Ee- 

 naissance were Gesner and Aldrovandi. Gesner stands 

 high among early botanists, as we have elsewhere (supra, 

 p. 30) tried to show. But he was much else besides a 

 botanist, and would have claimed to be called a poly- 

 histor, i.e. a scholar who set himself to acquire and 

 expound all learning. 



Gesner's History of Animals ^ was written in Latin, 

 and appeared volume by volume from 1551 to 1587, the 

 mammals, oviparous quadrupeds, birds, fishes and other 

 aquatic animals being treated in succession. A volume 

 on serpents and a description of the scorpion, which was 

 to have formed part of the insects, were not published 

 till after Gesner's death. The whole work extended 

 to 4,500 folio pages, and was adorned by several hundred 

 w^oodcuts. So far as possible, each animal is described 

 under eight heads : — (1) names, in various languages ; 

 (2) native country, external characters, &c. ; (3) mode 

 of life ; (4) habits and instincts ; (5) capture, rearing, 

 domestication, &c. ; (6) uses as food ; (7) uses as 

 medicine ; (8) literary and moral uses, historical allusions, 

 &c. The primary arrangement is, of course, Aris- 

 totelian, but with a number of changes for the worse ; 



^ Historia Animalium. 5 vols. Fol. Tiguri. 1551-87. 





