MODERN SCIENCE. 117 



in viviparous animals and woman an observation which 

 brought about new ideas regarding the theory of fecun- 

 dation. He was the first to explain more extensively than 

 Pythagoras, Leonardo, and Palissy the origin of fossils (1669); 

 his observations regarding the PETRIFACTION of rocks are 

 remarkable, but less so than his pointing out the system of 

 STRATIFICATION AND UPRISING which is now admitted so 

 that he was a real geologist as well as a naturalist. SciLLA, 

 in 1670, carried this study further by his observations of the 

 rocks and fossils of Calabria. 



1635 1672. Willughby, the earliest great naturalist 

 England may be proud of, studied fishes, birds, and quad- 

 rupeds ; collected with his friend Ray, who took a share in 

 all his labours, a great number of specimens. His book on 

 quadrupeds is an excellent instance of CLASSIFICATION, 

 dividing the whole sub-kingdom into oviparous and vivi- 

 parous, and subdividing the species according to the kind 

 of feet and teeth they exhibit. The birds he divided into 

 land birds and water birds, and then subdivided them again 

 according to their beak and claws and food. The fishes 

 were classed into groups not very different from those now 

 adopted. 



1707 88. Buffon, by his comprehensive work on natural 

 history, popularised a vast amount of useful knowledge. 

 Animals, their structure, instincts, habits, are so beautifully 

 described ; he showed the power and majesty of Nature in 

 a manner so novel and striking that he exercised immense 

 influence. The general interest in scientific researches which 

 he created entitles him to be considered as one of the great 

 promoters of knowledge in the XVII Ith century. The 

 scientific value of his labours is twofold. First and foremost 

 it lies in the fact that he was the earliest writer who clearly 

 formulated the suggestion derived from practical obser- 

 vation that all species of plants and animals probably 

 descend from a common origin, and are due to a gradual 

 divergence from the parental type ; so that he planted THE 

 SEED OF THE ORGANIC EVOLUTIONARY DOCTRINE organic 

 development by law. He intimated that man himself forms 

 no exception, and may be considered as a branch of the 



