174 



Botanical Ilhistration 



[CH. 



the subtleties of plant form, in realistic fashion, has led to 

 the use of a more delicate line. However, the primary 

 object of the herbal illustrations was, after all, a scientific 

 and not a decorative one, and, from this point of view, the 

 gain in realism more than compensates for the loss in 

 the harmonious balance of black and white. 



Our chronological survey of the chief botanical wood- 

 cuts brings us next to those published by Egenolph in 

 1533, to illustrate Rhodion's ' Kreutterbuch.' These have 



Scolopendn'a. Lingua cerui. 



Text-fig. 85. "Scolopendria" = Hart's-tongue Fern 

 [Rhodion, Kreutterbflch, 1533]. 



sometimes been regarded as of considerable importance, 

 almost comparable, in fact, with those of Brunfels. A 

 careful examination of these wood-engravings leads, how- 

 ever, to the conclusion that practically all the chief figures 

 in Egenolph's book have been copied from those of 

 Brunfels, but on a smaller scale, and reversed. It is true 

 that the style of engraving is different, and that, as Hatton 

 has pointed out, Egenolph's flowing, easy, almost brush-like 

 line is very distinct from that of Weiditz. But the fact of 



