104 



CONRAD GESNER. 



chiefly of a commentary on Aristotle, with certain 

 additions from the Arabian writers. 



Sir Thomas Browne, in his famous Enquiries 

 into Vulgar and Common Errors, thus characterizes 

 our author : — "^ Albertus, bishop of Ratisbone, for his 

 great learning and latitude of knowledge sirnam- 

 ed ^lagnus, besides divinitie, hath written many 

 Tracts in Philosophic ; what we are chiefly to re- 

 ceive with caution, are his naturall Tractates, more 

 especially those of Mineralls, Vegetables, and Ani- 

 mals, which are indeed chiefly Collections out of 

 Aristotle, iElian, and Plinie, and respectively con- 

 taine many of our popular errors. He was a man 

 who much advanced these opinions by the authori- 

 tie of his name, and delivered most conceits, with 

 strickt enquirie into few." 



It is scarcely necessary to mention here a work 

 on the fishes of Rome, De Romanis Piscibus, by 

 the celebrated Paolo Giovio, an Italian writer of 

 this age, who was born at Como in the year 1483. 

 It was dedicated to the Cardinal of Bourbon, and ap- 

 peared in 1524, but is of little or no value, being 

 the production of a person who, although eminent 

 in general literature, had no claims to the character 

 of a naturalist. 



Another author who lived at this period, Hierony- 

 mus Bock, generally known by his Latinized name 

 Tragus, was principally distinguished as a botanist, 

 although he wrote also on animals. In 1549, he 

 published a work entitled Kraeuterbuch von den vier 

 Elementen, Thieren, Voegeln,and Fischen, of which 

 there have been various editions. He was born at 

 Heidesbach at Zweybruecken in 1498, and died, in 

 the 56th year of his age, on the 21st of June 1554. 



