Topsell's "The History of Four-footed Beasts" (1607) and "The History of Serpents" (1608), both published by William Jaggard, were reprinted together as "The History of Four-Footed Beasts and Serpents" in 1658. An 1100-page treatise on zoology, Topsell's work repeats ancient and fantastic legends about actual animals, as well as reports of mythical animals. Topsell, not a naturalist himself, relied on earlier authorities, most notably the "Historiae animalium" of the Swiss scholar Conrad Gessner. "I would not have the Reader," Topsell writes, "... imagine I have ... related all that is ever said of these Beasts, but only is said by many."