120 JOHN JONSTON. 



where he spent the rest of his days. He died on the 

 8th June 1675. 



The most important of Jonston's works is his His- 

 toria Animalium, which was published at Frankfort 

 on the Maine. The first part, containing five books 

 on fishes and cetacea, and four on the white-blooded 

 aquatic animals, appeared in 1649. The second 

 part, which treats of birds, followed in 1650; the 

 third, on quadrupeds, in ] 652 ; and the fourth, on 

 insects and serpents, in 1653. Several editions of 

 this work have since come out ; the latest being that 

 of Heidelberg, in 1755. It is, however, a mere com- 

 pilation from the writings of Gesner, Aldrovandi, and 

 others. The plates, which are numerous, are also, for 

 the most part, copied from these authors, a few only 

 being original. They are not without merit, having 

 been engraved by the famous Matthew Merian ; but 

 several of them, resting on no authority beyond that 

 of simple description, represent objects which have no 

 real existence. His first treatise, which is a collection 

 of the most curious phenomena presented by the 

 sky, the elements, meteors, fossils, plants, birds, 

 quadrupeds, insects, and man, was printed at Am- 

 sterdam in 1632, under the title of Thaumatogra- 

 phia Naturalis in Decem Classes Distincta. He 

 also produced a Dendrographia, or natural history 

 of trees and shrubs ; and two smaller tracts, the one 

 entitled Notitia Regni Vegetabilis, the other Noti- 

 tia Regni Mineralis ; together with several others, 

 on various subjects, which, as they have long since 

 passed into oblivion, it is unnecessary to mention at 

 greater length. 



