42 
MEMOIR OF 
They serve, however, when contrasted with the 
zoology of Aristotle, to bring into deserved pro- 
minence the inventor of an original system. 
No real improvements ill zoology were made 
during the next sixteen hundred years. In the 
16th century a few writers appeared whose re- 
maining works indicate the dawn of a brighter 
era. These deserve a brief notice in the succes- 
sion in which they lived. 
Conrad Gesner, born at Zurich, — 1516; a 
prodigy of application ; but his works, though 
evincing some improvements in Botany, are now 
regarded as merely literary curiosities. 
Pierre Belon, in 1553 ; whose works exhibit 
some improvements in Ichthyology, particularly 
in the department of sea-fishes. 
Hippolito Salviani, a. d. 1554 ; whose 
works on Ichthyology contain still farther im- 
provements, but are chiefly valuable on account 
of the beautiful and accurate plates which they 
contain. 
Gillaume Rondelet, a.d. 1554; whose works 
on Ichthyology contain some traces of classifica- 
tions based on affinities. 
Ulysses Aldrovandt, or Aldrovandus, who 
died a.d. 1605. He wrote thirteen folio volumes, 
four only of which were published by himself, 
namely, three on birds, and one on insects. The 
rest appeared after his death. 
He can be regarded merely as a compiler — a 
modern Pliny. 
With regard to all these, it is asserted by an 
