240 WOMAN IN SCIENCE 



In these two productions Mme. de Beausoleil treats of the 

 science of mining, the different kinds of mines, the assaying 

 of ores and the divers methods of smelting them, as well as 

 of the general principles of metallurgy, as then understood. 

 But, unlike the majority of her contemporaries, this en- 

 lightened woman had no patience with those who believed 

 that the earth's hidden treasures could not be discovered 

 without recourse to magic or to the aid of demons. She 

 was unsparing in her ridicule of those who had faith in 

 the existence of gnomes and kobolds, or thought that ore 

 deposits could be located only by divining-rods or similar 

 foolish contrivances which were relics of an ignorant and 

 superstitious age. 



The same century that witnessed the exploring activity 

 of the Baroness de Beausoleil saw the beginnings of the 

 notable achievements of a daughter of Germany, well 

 known in the annals of science as Maria Sibylla Merian. 

 Born in Frankfort in 1647, she died in Amsterdam in 1717, 

 after a somewhat checkered career, most of which was de- 

 voted to the pursuit of natural history. So fond was she 

 of flowers and insects that it is said they told her all their 

 secrets. 



After having familiarized herself with the fauna and 

 flora of her native land, she proceeded to investigate the 

 collections of the principal European cabinets of natural 

 history. This only fired her ambition to see more of the 

 world and study Nature where she is seen in her greatest 

 splendor and luxuriance. 



She accordingly resolved to undertake a journey to the 

 equatorial regions of South America. Such a voyage can 

 now be made with comparative ease, but in her days it was 

 fraught with discomforts and dangers of all kinds, and 

 one that no woman thought to venture on unless obliged to 

 do so by stern necessity. 



But she was set on investigating animals and plants in 

 their own habitats in the glorious and exuberant flora of 



