Squib’s Reviews > The Great Naturalists > Status Update

I like the description of Konrad Gessner as an 'erudite empiricist' who saw his zoological descriptions as being enhanced by the study of languages and art; something that other popular scientists should follow

Interesting relationship between Aristotle's ideas and Pierre Belon's depiction of homology between different vertebrate species.

The Ancients. Seems a bit biased against the middle ages. There is a sincere expression of gratitude towards Aristotle's contributions towards understanding the natural world, as well as Theophrastus (a botanist that Aristotle admired), Pliny the Elder and Dioscorides. Romans were mostly fixated on the practical usages of their medicinal plants, a pattern that was continued into the middle ages.