STENO. 217 



the cheek, and in 1664 he published some researches 

 on the manner in which the chick is nourished in 

 the Ggg. Moreover, he examined the structures of 

 the eye of the calf, the nature of the mucous secre- 

 tion, and wrote on the heart. While engaged in 

 these researches at Amsterdam, he heard of the 

 death of his mother, and returned to Copenhagen. 

 After a short stay there, he set out for Italy, taking 

 France on his way ; and he began a series of re- 

 searches on the structure of the brain at Paris in 

 1664. Here a great change occurred, which in- 

 fluenced his future life in a remarkable degree. 

 Steno, well known then as a successful investigator, 

 came under the notice of a great French geographer, 

 Thevenot, and, what was more important, became 

 the friend of Bossuet, one of the greatest preachers 

 and teachers the Roman Catholic Church has ever 

 produced. Steno was so influenced by Bossuet, 

 that he became converted to the Roman Catholic 

 faith, and left the Lutheran Church. Going sub- 

 sequently into Italy, Steno pursued his studies, and 

 settled in Florence, in 1667, being well received by 

 the Grand Duke Ferdinand II. de Medici. In spite 

 of the somewhat natural jealousy of the medical 

 men of the city, Steno was appointed physician to 

 the Grand Duke, and prosecuted his anatomical 

 studies under his influence. Then he came across 

 a subject which directed his attention to geology, 

 or rather to that part of the science which relates 

 to extinct animals. In a letter to Thevenot, Steno 

 describes the dissection of a shark which had been 



