The History of Four-Footed Beasts, Serpents and Insects

Describing at Large Their True and Lively Figure, Their Several Names, Conditions, Kinds, Virtues (Both Natural and Medicinal) Countries of Their Breed, Their Love and Hatred to Mankind, and the Wonderful Work of God in Their Creation, Preservation

Edward Topsell

• Publisher: Left of Brain Books
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9781396320767
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Zoology
• Index: Biological Sciences

Edward Topsell's "The History of Four-Footed Beasts, Serpents and Insects", is a medieval exposition on Zoology. Published in 1658, nearly 30 years after Topsell's death, his book explores the history and legends of real and mythical animals.Topsell was not a naturalist but a clergyman, and he used scriptures and poetry as sources just as much as the natural world. He mentions fantastical and mythical creations such as the lamia, a creature with a scaled, catlike body and the face of a woman, the mantichora, a creature with a lion's body, a man's face and a distorted smile, and the hydra, a creature with seven heads and a serpent's body. He also mentions unicorns and discusses how elephants worship the sun.Topsell's previous books had been grounded in religious themes, and although "The History of Four-Footed Beasts, Serpents and Insects" is not without said themes, it's a puzzling and enjoyable departure from his usual work.This History of Four-Footed Beasts is split between this first and the second volume, with Serpents and Insects in the following volumes.

Table of contents

• TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORD MARQUESSE OF DORCHESTER
• TO THE REVEREND AND RIGHT WORSHIPFUL RICHARD NEILE, D. OF DIVINITY
• THE HISTORY OF FOUR-FOOTED BEASTS
• Of the Bison.
• Of the Camel Dromedary.
• Of the Hart and Hinde.
• Of the Ethiopian Eal.
• Of the Gennet-Cat, called Genetha.
• Of the Gorgon or strange Lybian Beast.
• Of several kindes of Horses.
• The figure of Hippelaphus.
• Of the Sea-Horse.
• Of The Hyæna, and the divers kinds thereof.
• Of the Lamia.
• Of the vulgar little Mouse.
• Of the Hamster or Cricetus.
• Of the Moschatte, or Musk-cat.
• Of the Poephagus.
• Of the Ram.
• Of the Strepsiceros.
• Of the wilde Boar.
• Of the Weasel.
• THE HISTORY OF SERPENTS.
• A general treatise of Serpents, Divine, Moral, and Natural.
• Of the Adder.
• Of Caterpillers, or Palmer-Worms, called of some Cankers.
• Of the Double-Head.
• Of the Hæmorrhe.
• Of the Horned Serpent.
• Of the Stellion.
• Of the Tyre.
• TO THE NOBLE KNIGHT, AND THE KINGS CHIEF PHYSICIAN, DR. WILLIAM PADDY
• A PREFACE UPON THE UNDERTAKING OF THIS ARGUMENT; AND OF THE WORTH AND USE OF IT.
• THE THEATER OF INSECTS: OR, LESSER LIVING CREATURES. book I
• CHAP. II. Of the Politick, Ethick, and Oeconomick virtues of Bees.
• CHAP. III. Of the Creation, Generation and Propagation of Bees.
• CHAP. IV. Of the use of Bees.
• CHAP. V. Of the Name, Difference and Use of Honey.
• CHAP. VI. Concerning Wax, Bee-Glew, Dregs of Wax, Pissoceros, Bees-Bread, and of Their Nature and Use.
• CHAP. VII. Of Drones and Theeves.
• CHAP. VIII. Of Wasps.
• CHAP. IX. Of Hornets and the Tenthredo.
• CHAP. X. Of Flyes.
• CHAP. XI. Of the Divers Kindes of Flies.
• CHAP. XII. Of the Use of Flyes.
• CHAP. XIII. Of Gnats.
• CHAP. XIV. Of Butterflies.
• CHAP. XV. Of the Glow-worm.
• CHAP. XVI. Of the Locusts.
• CHAP. XVII. Of Grashoppers and Krickets.
• CHAP. XVIII. Of Moths Called Blattæ.
• CHAP. XIX. Of the Buprestis or Burncowe, and the Cantharides.
• CHAP. XX. Of the Cantharides, or Spanish Fly.
• CHAP. XXI. Of Beetles.
• CHAP. XXII. Of the Lesser Beetles.
• CHAP. XXIII. Of the Oyl-Beetle, and the Water-Beetle.
• CHAP. XXIV. Of the Fen-Kricket, The Eve-Churre, or the Chur‑Worm.
• CHAP. XXV. Of the Fire-Fly.
• CHAP. XXVI. Of the Water-Spider.
• CHAP. XXVII. Of the Forficula, or Earwig.
• CHAP. XXVIII. Of the Scorpion, The Ant, and Flying Lice.
• CHAP. XXIX. Of the Winged Punie or Wall-Louse.
• THE PREFACE OF THE SECOND BOOK.
• THE THEATER OF INSECTS: OR, LESSER LIVING CREATURES. BOOK II
• CHAP. II. Of the Rest of the Smooth Catterpillers.
• CHAP. III. Of Catterpillers Rough and Hairy.
• CHAP. IV. Of the Original, Breeding, Nourishment, and Change of Catterpillars.
• CHAP. V. Of the Quality and Use of Catterpillers, and of Their Antidotes.
• CHAP. VI. Of the Whurlworm.
• CHAP. VII. Of a Catterpiller Called Staphylinus.
• CHAP. VIII. Concerning The Scolopendræ and Juli.
• CHAP. IX. Of Chisleps.
• CHAP. X. Of Land Scorpions.
• CHAP. XI. Of the Name of Spiders, and Their Differences.
• CHAP. XII. Of Spiders that are Hurtful, or Phalangia.
• CHAP. XIII. Of the Tame or House Spider.
• CHAP. XIV. Certain Kindes of Spiders Observed by Authors.
• CHAP. XV. Of the Generation, Copulation, and Use Of Spiders.
• CHAP. XVI. The Commendation of Pismires; Wherein We Shall Describe Their Differences, Nature, Ingenuity and Use.
• CHAP. XVII. Of the Gloworm, and the Female Melo, and of Anthremus and the Field Chislep.
• CHAP. XVIII. Of Mineral Worms With Six Feet.
• CHAP. XIX. Of Worms in Vegetables, That Have Six Feet, and First of Worms in Trees.
• CHAP. XX. Of Worms of Fruits, Pulse, Corn, Vines, Herbs.
• CHAP. XXI. Concerning the Use of Worms That Breed in Minerals and Vegetables, and the Way to Destroy Them.
• CHAP. XXII. Of the Six Footed Worms of Living Creatures, and First of Lice in Men.
• CHAP. XXIII. Of the Lice of Brute Beasts and Plants.
• CHAP. XXIV. Of Little Lice Called Syrones, Acari, and Tineæ, or Hand-Worms, or Mites in Living Creatures.
• CHAP. XXV. Of Wall-Lice.
• CHAP. XXVI. Of Tikes, and Sheeps Lice.
• CHAP. XXVII. Of the Garment-Eating Moth.
• CHAP. XXVIII. Of the Flea.
• CHAP. XXIX. Of Insects That Want Feet, and First of Earth‑Worms
• CHAP. XXX. Of Worms in Living Creatures.
• CHAP. XXXI. Of the Description of Worms in the Intestines.
• CHAP. XXXII. Of the Original of Worms in the Guts.
• CHAP. XXXIII. Of the Signs and Cure of Worms out of Gabucinus.
• CHAP. XXXIV. Of Worms that Breed without the Bowels, and Chiefly of Maggots.
• CHAP. XXXV. Of Nits.
• CHAP. XXXVI. Of Aureliæ, and A Wood-Worm Called Teredo, without Feet.
• CHAP. XXXVII. Of Water Insects without Feet, and First of the Shrimp or Squilla.
• CHAP. XXXVIII. Of the Locust, Scorpion, Notonectum, the Grashopper, the Wasp, the Forked Claw, the Newt, the Little Heart, and the Lowse, All Water-Insects.
• CHAP. XXXIX. Of the Flea or Asellus, and the Scolopendra Found in the Sea.
• CHAP. XL. Of Water Insects without Feet, and First of Oripes.
• CHAP. XLI. Of Horsleeches.
• CHAP. XLII. Of Water-worms.