(1582-1657) Naturalist, born Lopera, Spain; died Lima, Peru. He was successively rector of the Jesuit colleges of Arequipa, Pisco, and Callao. From 1630-1650 he was in Mexico as a missionary. His long residence in Spanish America equipped him with full and reliable information as to its natural features and inhabitants, and he may be considered the foremost authority on the subject in the 17th century. His "History of the New World," until recently neglected, is invaluable from a historical and scientific viewpoint.