HISTORY OF ZOOPHYTOLOGY. 
5 
scriptions of the species which fell under his notice with illus- 
trative figures of considerable accuracy. His 44 Historia Natu- 
rale,” of which De Blainville assuredly speaks in very exag- 
gerating terms when he represents it as one of the most im- 
portant works in the history of zoophytology, was printed at 
Naples in 1599 ; but although reprinted some years after- 
wards (1672), the book, and the knowledge it contained, had 
sunk into such complete oblivion, that when Peyssonnel, in the 
year 1727, communicated the same discovery to the Academy 
of Sciences in Paris, it was received by the members of that 
learned body in a manner which is sufficient to convince us that 
it was entirely new to them, and exposed the author to the ob- 
loquy and censure which are the usual portions of an original 
discoverer. 
Some time previously to the publication of Peyssonnefs dis- 
covery, those who maintained that the stony zoophytes were 
plants had received a strong corroboration of their opinion from 
the researches of Count Marsigli, who, having detected the ex- 
istence of polypes in coral and madrepore, had, under the influ- 
ence of the fashionable theory, described them as being literal- 
ly their blossoms or flowers.* Peyssonnel, therefore, had to 
contend not only against the prejudices of the vulgar based on 
appearances which spoke direct to the outward sense, but against 
the actual observations of a naturalist of acknowledged merit ; 
and the observations of Peyssonnel, although numerous and 
unequivocal, were yet mixed up with so much that was fanciful 
or erroneous, that it is not wonderful his opinion was received 
with coldness and suspicion. Reaumur, to whom Peyssonnel’s 
communication was intrusted, even concealed the name of the 
rod and directing the attention of two wondering visitors to the more remarkable 
of them, while a third leans against a cabinet, and surveys, 
“ not without much content 
“ Its many singularities.” 
The book contains besides many wood-cuts of a miscellaneous kind, very tolera- 
bly engraved for the age. The Zoophytes figured belong chiefly to the Litho- 
phyta, with some Sponges and Alcyonia. The opinions of Rumphius seem to 
have been as explicitly stated as those of Imperato, but they effected nothing 
Pall. Elench. 14, and 275. 
* “ Ce fut une decouverte qui fit grand bruit dans le monde naturaliste, que 
celle des fleurs du corail.” Reaumur — Marsigli’s work was published in 1711. 
His name is sometimes written Marsilli — For an account of his works see Hal- 
ler, Bib. Bot, i. 630. 
