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{{Short description|16th century
{{Italic title}}
[[File:Illustrations de Icones animalium quadrupedum viviparorum et oviparorum, Tigre et léopard.jpg|thumb|Tiger and leopard, Book 1:''Viviparous Quadrupeds'']]
'''
== Overview ==
[[File:
[[File:Viviparous Quadropeds - Book 1.jpg|thumb|right|Hunting dogs, Book 1]]The ''Historia animalium'' was Gessner's [[Masterpiece|magnum opus]], and was the most widely read of all the Renaissance natural histories. The generously illustrated work was so popular that Gessner's abridgement, ''Thierbuch'' ("Animal Book"), was published in Zurich in 1563, and in England [[Edward Topsell]] translated and condensed it as a ''Historie of foure-footed beastes'' (London: [[William Jaggard]], 1607).<ref name ="cambridge1"/> Gessner's monumental work attempts to build a connection between the ancient knowledge of the animal world, its title the same as [[Aristotle]]'s work on animals, and what was known at his time. He then adds his own observations, and those of his correspondents, in an attempt to formulate a comprehensive description of the [[natural history]] of animals.<ref name=Huxley>Huxley, 2007. Pages 71–75</ref>▼
▲
Gessner's ''Historia animalium'' is based on [[Classical Literature|classical sources]]. It is compiled from ancient and medieval texts, including the inherited knowledge of ancient naturalists like [[Aristotle]], [[Pliny the Elder]],<ref name ="cambridge1"/> and [[Claudius Aelianus|Aelian]].<ref name=Huxley/> Gessner was known as "the Swiss Pliny."<ref name="Gessner2">{{cite web|url= http://www.strangescience.net/Gessner.htm|title= Conran Gessner biography|access-date= 2008-09-17}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> For information he relied heavily on the ''[[Physiologus]]''.<ref name ="Gessner2"/>▼
▲Gessner's
In his larger works Gessner sought to distinguish fact from myth and popular misconceptions,{{sfn|Pettitt|2014}} and so his encyclopedic work included both extinct creatures and newly discovered animals of the [[East Indies]], those of the [[Northern Europe|far north]] and animals brought back from the [[New World]]. The work included extensive information on [[mammals]], [[birds]], [[fish]], and [[reptiles]]. It described in detail their daily habits and movements. It also included their uses in [[medicine]] and [[nutrition]].<ref name ="cambridge1"/>
== Fantastical creatures ==
[[File:Historiae animalium 1551 De Monocerote.jpg|thumb|[[Unicorn]] ]]
There have been various academic studies relating to Gessner's inclusion of some fantastical-looking creatures in the volumes, such as the [[sea monk]], [[sea bishop]], or [[ichthyocentaur]].<ref name=hendrikx/><ref name=wehner/>▼
▲There have been various academic studies relating to Gessner's inclusion of
Gessner was aware of fakery in the curio shops market, where dried rays were manipulated to look like dragons (for example [[Jenny Haniver]]s).{{sfnp|Gudger|1934|pp=516–517}} There may have also been fake mermaid-like creatures being imported from China by the Dutch.{{sfnp|Gudger|1934|p=512}}
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* Volume 1: [[Live-bearing]] [[four-footed animals]] (viviparous quadrupeds) (1551).
* Volume 2: [[Egg-laying]] (oviparous) quadrupeds ([[reptiles]] and [[amphibia]]) (1554).
* Volume 3: [[Birds]] (1555).
* Volume 4: [[Fish]] and [[aquatic animals]] (1558).
* Volume 5: [[Snake]]s and [[scorpion]]s (incomplete, published [[posthumous book|posthumously]] 1587).{{sfn|Pettitt|2014}}
==Illustrations==
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== Censorship ==
There was [[Reformation|extreme religious tension]] at the time
==References==
{{reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name=hendrikx>{{cite journal|last=Hendrikx |first=Sophia |author-link=<!-- Sophia Hendrikx --> |title=Monstrosities from the Sea. Taxonomy and tradition in Conrad Gessner's (1516-1565) discussion of cetaceans and sea-monsters |journal=Anthropozoologica |year=2018 |volume=53 |issue=11 |url=http://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/en/periodiques/anthropozoologica/53/11 |pages=133–134<!--125–137-->|doi=10.5252/anthropozoologica2018v53a11 |s2cid=54212091 |hdl=1887/67726 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
<ref name=wehner>{{cite book|last1=Ursula Wehner |first1=Peggy |author-link1=<!--Ursula Wehner--> |last2=Zierau |first2=Wolfgang |author-link2=<!--Wolfgang Zierau--> |last3=Arditti |first3=Joseph |author-link3=<!--Joseph Arditti--> |title=Germanicus and Plinius Indicus: Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century Descriptions and Illustrations of Orchid "Trash Baskets", Resupination, Seeds, Floral Segments and Flower Senescence in the European Botanical Literature in Orchid Biology: Reviews and Perspectives |work=Orchid Biology VIII: Reviews and Perspectives |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |year=2013 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kyLtCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA43 |pages=42–44 |isbn=978-9-401-72500-2}}</ref>
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* {{cite book |last=Gmelig-Nijboer |first=Caroline Aleid |title=Conrad Gessner's 'Historia animalium': an inventory of renaissance zoology|publisher=Meppel |year=1977 }}
* {{cite book |last=Gessner |first=Conrad |author-link=Conrad Gessner |title=Curious Woodcuts of Fanciful and Real Beasts - A Selection of 190 Sixteenth-century Woodcuts from Gessner's and Topsell's Natural Histories |publisher=Dover Publications |year=1971 |isbn=04862270-1-4 |display-authors=etal}}
*{{cite journal|last=Gudger |first=E. W. |author-link=<!-- Eugene Willis Gudger --> |title=Jenny Hanivers, Dragons and Basilisks in the Old Natural History Books and in Modern Times |journal=The Scientific Monthly |volume=38 |issue=6 |year=<!--Jun.-->1934 |pages=511–523}} {{
* {{cite book |last=Huxley |first=Robert |title=The Great Naturalists |publisher=Thames & Hudson |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-500-25139-3 |display-authors=etal}}
* {{cite book |last=Jardine |first=Secord |title=Cultures of Natural History|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1996 |isbn=0-521-55894-8 |display-authors=etal}}
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==External links==
{{Commons category|Historiae Animalium}}
*[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/136746#page/7/mode/1up ''
*[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/210109#page/
{{History of biology}}
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[[Category:1551 in science]]
[[Category:1587 in science]]
[[Category:16th century in
[[Category:16th-century encyclopedias]]
[[Category:16th-century
[[Category:Books by Conrad Gessner]]
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