11 



During the seventeenth century there was a considerable 

 advance in the study of fossil remains. The discussions in 

 regard to the nature and origin of these objects, had called 

 attention to them, and many collections were now made, espe- 

 cially in Italy, and also in Germany, where a strong interest 

 in this subject had been aroused. Catalogues of these collec- 

 . tions were not unfrequently published, and some of them were 

 illustrated with such accurate figures, that many of the species 

 can now be readily recognized. In this century, too, an 

 important step in advance was made by the collection and 

 description of fossils from particular localities and regions, in 

 distinction from general collections of curiosities. 



Casper Schwenkfeld, in 1600, published a catalogue of the 

 fossils discovered in Silesia ; in 1622, a detailed description of 

 the renowned Museum of Calceolarius, of Yerona, appeared ; 

 and in 1642, a catalogue of Besler's collection. Wormius's cata- 

 logue was published in 1652 ; Spener's in 1663 ; and Septala's 

 in 1666. A description of the Museum of the King of Den- 

 mark was issued in 1669 ; Cottorp's catalogue in 1674 ; and that 

 of the renowned Kirscher in 1678. Dr. Grew gave an account 

 in 1687 of the specimens in the Museum of Gresham's College 

 in England ; and in 1695, Petiver of London published a cata- 

 logue of his very extensive collection. A catalogue by Fred. 

 Lauchmund, on the fossils of Hildeshein, appeared in 1669, 

 and the fossils of Switzerland were described by Jolm Jacob 

 Wagner in 1689. Among similar works, were the dissertations 

 of Gyer, at Frankfort, and Albertus, at Leipsic. 



Steno, a Dane, who had been professor of anatomy at Padua, 

 published, in 1669, one of the most important works of this 

 period.* He entered earnestly into the controversy as to the 

 origin of fossil remains, and by dissecting a shark from the 

 Mediterranean, proved that its teeth were identical with some 

 found fossil in Tuscany. He also compared the fossil shells 

 found in Italy with existing species, and pointed out their 

 resemblance. In the same work, Steno expressed some very 



* Be solido intra solidum naturaliter contento. 



