LuNN^EUb AND NATURAL HISTORY 113 



observations upon their habits. His great wo?k on natural 

 history (Historia AnimaUiim) began to appear in 1551, when 

 he was thirty-five years of age, and four of the five volumes 

 were published by 1556. The fifth volume was not pub- 

 lished until 1587, twenty-two years after his death. The 

 complete w r ork consists of about " 4,500 folio pages," profusely 

 illustrated with good figures. The edition which the writer 

 has before him — that of 1 585-1604 — embraces 3,200 pages 

 of text and 953 figures. 



Brooks says: "One of Gesner's greatest services to nat- 

 ural science is the introduction of good illustrations, which he 

 gives his reader by hundreds." He was so exacting about 

 the quality of his illustrations that his critical supervision of 

 the work of artists and engravers had its influence upon con- 

 temporary art. Some of the best woodcuts of the period arc 

 found in his work. Albrecht Diirer supplied one of the 

 originals — the drawing of the rhinoceros — and it is interest- 

 ing to note that it is by no means the best, a circumstance 

 which indicates how effectively Gesner held his engravers 

 and draughtsmen up to fine work. He was also careful 

 to mold his writing into graceful form, and this, combined 

 with the illustrations, " made science attractive without sac- 

 rificing its dignity, and thus became a great educational 

 influence." 



In preparing his work he sifted the writings of about two 

 hundred and fifty authors, and while his book is largely a 

 compilation, it is enriched with many observations of his own. 

 His descriptions are verbose, but discriminating in separating 

 facts and observations from fables and speculations. He 

 could not entirely escape from old traditions. There are re- 

 tained in his book pictures of the sea-serpent, the mermaids, 

 and a few other fanciful and grotesque sketches, but for the 

 most part the drawings are made from the natural objects. 

 The descriptions are in several parts of his work alphabeti- 

 8 



