OUTLINE OF BIOLOGICAL PROGRESS ^3 



the scientific writings ascribed to Aristotle were all from his 

 hand. The work is so uneven that Huxley has suggested 

 that, since the ancient philosophers taught viva voce, what 

 we have of his zoological writings may possibly be the notes 

 of some of his students. While this is not known to be the 

 case, that hypothesis enables us to understand the intimate 

 mixture of profound observation with trivial matter and 

 obvious errors that occur in the writings ascribed to him. 



Plertv/ig says: ''It is a matter for great regret that there 

 have been preserved only parts of his three most important 

 zoological works, ^Hisloria animaihuu,^ ' Dc^^^ilibiis,^ and 

 ^ De generaiione,^ works in which zoology is founded as a 

 universal science, since anatomy and em])ryology, physiology 

 and classification, find equal consideration." 



Some Errors. — Dissections were little y)ractised in his 

 day, and it must be admitted that his observations embrace 

 many errors. He supposed the brain to be bloodless, the 

 arteries to carry air, etc., but he has been cleared by Huxley 

 of the mistake so often attributed to him of supposing the 

 heart of mammals to have only three chambers. It is alto- 

 gether probable that he is credited with a larger number of 

 errors than is justified by the facts. 



He must have had unusual gifts in the exposition of these 

 technical subjects; indeed, he made his researches appear 

 so important to his royal patron, Alexander, that he was 

 aided in the preparation of his great Natural History Vjy a 

 grant of 800 talents (equivalent to $200,000) and by nu- 

 merous assistants and collectors. Thus in ancient times was 

 anticipated the question that is being agitated to-day — that 

 of the support and the endowment of research. 



Personal Appearance. — Some idea of his looks may be 

 gained from Fig. i. This is a copy of a bas-relief found in 

 the collection of P'ulvius Ursinus (d. 1600), and was originally 

 published by J. Faber. Its authenticity as a portrait is 



