Editing Conrad Gessner (section)

==== ''Historia animalium'' (1551–1558) ====
{{main|Historia animalium (Gessner)|l1=Historia animalium}}
[[File:Conrad Gesner - Porcupine 33.jpg|thumb|[[Porcupine]], {{Lang|la|[[Historiae animalium]]}}, 1551|alt=Drawing of a porcupine in Historia amimalium]]
Gessner's great [[zoology|zoological]] work, {{Lang|la|[[Historiae animalium (Gesner)|Historia animalium]]}},{{sfn|Gessner|1551–1558}} is a 4,500-page encyclopedia of animals that appeared in Zürich in 4 volumes between 1551 and 1558: [[quadruped]]s, amphibians, birds, and fishes. A fifth folio on snakes was issued in 1587. A German translation of the first 4 volumes titled ''Thierbůch'' was published in Zürich in 1563. This book was considered to be the first modern zoological work. It built a bridge between ancient, medieval and modern science.

In {{Lang|la|Historia animalium}} Gessner combines data from old sources, such as the Old Testament, Aristotle, Pliny, folklore, and medieval bestiaries, adding his own observations. He created a new, comprehensive description of the Animal Kingdom. This was the first attempt by anyone to describe many animals accurately. The book unlike many works of its time was illustrated with hand-colored woodcuts drawn from personal observations by Gessner and his colleagues.{{sfn|TTP|2015}}

Even though he sought to distinguish observed facts from myths and popular errors and was known for his accurate depiction of many animals in {{Lang|la|Historia animalium}}, he also included many fictional animals such as the Unicorn and the Basilisk, which he had only heard about from medieval bestiaries. But when Gessner doubted the accuracy of the opinions he relayed in his own writings, or the validity of the illustrations he included, he clearly said so. Besides any plant or animal's potential advantage to people, Gessner was interested in learning about them because of the moral lessons they could teach and the divine truths they might tell. He went into as much detail about some unreal animals as he did about real ones.{{sfn|Scott|2017}} Later in 1556 he also combined real and fictional creatures in his edition of the works of [[Claudius Aelianus]].

{{Lang|la|Historia animalium}} includes sketches for many well-known animals, and some fictional ones, including unicorns and mermaids. He accomplished many of his works in a large part due to the web of acquaintances he established with leading naturalists throughout Europe, who included [[John Caius]], English court physician to the [[Tudors]] and second founder of [[Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge]]. Not only did they send him their ideas, but also sent him plants, animals and gems. He returned the favor – and kept helpful specimens coming – by naming plants after correspondents and friends.{{sfn|Scott|2017}}