Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 5 (1901).djvu/406

378 and courtiers. Wherever he went he made original observations, and his store of information was immense. Conrad Gesner climbed the rungs of the ladder of fame in the teeth of many discouragements. Not only was he one of a large family, but his father fell in the Civil War of 1531; and matters would have fared badly with our hero had it not been that he possessed an excellent relative—John Friccius, his maternal uncle. This benevolent priest was deeply versed in herbal lore, and taught Conrad to study field botany. But the untimely death of his benefactor cast Conrad back upon the mercies of the world, and it was with much difficulty that the stripling became a student at the University of Paris, where he made the acquaintance of John Steiger and other young men, who proved of service to him in later years. It is sometimes taken for granted that Gesner was a mere scribe, who freely utilized the writings of others for his great works, but made few original observations. No less deserved calumny could be heaped upon his memory. Certainly he was a maker of books, but he was not a book-maker in any but the noblest sense. He had as strong a desire to make personal observations as any of us, but it is only the fortunate few who can find leisure and means for research. Gesner visited Italy, and spent a whole month at Venice on purpose to study the fishes of the Venetian lagoons; but, unhappily, war broke out, and compelled him to return home. If he failed to carry out other schemes of travelling, it was not because he lacked enthusiasm, but because his health was poor, and his means were straitened. But though he could not gratify his natural ambition to scour Europe for specimens, he utilized other men to the same end, obtaining both specimens and information from correspondents in many lands. His bright genial nature won for Gesner the loyal support of all who had the privilege of knowing him. Aldrovandi, in his old age, wrote rather slightingly of Gesner, because he had arranged his history of birds alphabetically, as Prof. Newton has done in our own day. But we know that Gesner, like the modern naturalist whom he so closely resembled in his great erudition, adopted an alphabetical arrangement solely for the convenience of his readers. He was every bit as anxious to further the interests of taxonomy as his gouty critic, but there is a time and place for everything. Aldrovandi himself was