P. Belon travelled in the countries bordering on the eastern part of the
Mediterranean in the years 1547-1550; he collected rich stores of
positive knowledge, which he embodied in several works. The one most
important for the progress of ichthyology is that entitled _De
aquatilibus libri duo_ (Paris, 1553). Belon knew about one hundred and
ten fishes, of which he gives rude but generally recognizable figures.
Although Belon rarely gives definitions of the terms used by him, it is
not generally very difficult to ascertain the limits which he intended
to assign to each division of aquatic animals. He very properly divides
them into such as are provided with blood and those without it--two
divisions corresponding in modern language to vertebrate and
invertebrate aquatic animals. The former are classified by him according
to size, the further sub-divisions being based on the structure of the
skeleton, mode of propagation, number of limbs, form of the body and
physical character of the habitat.
Salviani.
The work of the Roman ichthyologist H. Salviani (1514-1572), bears
evidence of the high social position which the author held as physician
to three popes. Its title is _Aquatilium animalium historia_ (Rome,
1554-1557, fol.). It treats exclusively of the fishes of Italy.
Ninety-two species are figured on seventy-six plates, which, as regards
artistic execution, are masterpieces of that period, although those
specific characteristics which nowadays constitute the value of a
zoological drawing were overlooked by the author or artist. No attempt
is made at a natural classification, but the allied forms are generally
placed in close proximity. The descriptions are equal to those given by
Belon, entering much into the details of the economy and uses of the
several species, and were evidently composed with the view of collecting
in a readable form all that might prove of interest to the class of
society in which the author moved. Salviani's work is of a high order.
It could not fail to render ichthyology popular in the country to the
fauna of which it was devoted, but it was not fitted to advance
ichthyology as a science generally; in this respect Salviani is not to
be compared with Rondelet or Belon.
Rondelet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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