JOHN JONSTON. 119 



rangement of animals. It might thus be supposed 

 that the examination of plants is easier, while that 

 of minerals is more difficult, than the study of zoo- 

 logy ; but the cause of the preference given to the 

 vegetable economy seems to be connected with the 

 value of herbs as articles of the Materia IMedica, 

 while the animal kingdom attracted more atten- 

 tion than the mineral, as exciting greater curiosity, 

 and tending more directly to. supply the most ur- 

 gent wants of man. However this may be, it is 

 certain, that in the 17th century the botanists greatly 

 exceeded the zoologists in number. One of the most 

 remarkable of the latter was the subject of the pre- 

 sent notice, who, although merely a compiler, and 

 not possessed of much judgment or taste, continued 

 to be a popular author on natural history until his 

 works were superseded by those of Linnaeus. 



John Jonston, descended from a family origi- 

 nally Scottish, was born, in 1603, at Sambter, near 

 Lissa, a city of the palatinate of Posen in Poland. 

 After studying at Beuthen on the Oder, and at 

 Thorn in the Prussian dominions, he prosecuted his 

 education at the University of St Andrews ; whence, 

 in due time, he returned to his native country, and 

 for three years acted as tutor to the sons of Count 

 Kurtzbach. He then studied medicine and natural 

 history in several of the more distinguished semi- 

 naries at home and abroad. In 1632, he took charge 

 of two young noblemen, whom he accompanied to 

 England, Holland, France, and Italy. At Leyden 

 he obtained a medical degree, and was offered a pro- 

 fessorship ; which, however, he declined, preferring 

 a private life. On completing his travels, he re- 

 tired to a place in the neighbourhood of Lignitz, 



