ORIGIN OF THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 



JLiNNiEus was ushered into the world in the month of May, 1707, and, as this great NaturaHst 

 observes in his Diary, '' his parents received their first-born with joy, and devoted the greatest 

 attention to impressing on his mind the love of virtue, both by precept and example. The 

 same thing that is said of a poet, ' Nascitur non fit,' may be, without impropriety, applied to 

 the subject of this memoir. From the very time that he first left his cradle, he almost lived in 

 his father's garden, which was planted with some of the rarer shrubs and flowers ; and thus were 

 kindled, before he had well left his mother's arms, those sparks, which afterwards produced 

 such a blaze.'' As he advanced in youth, it is mentioned in the Diary, " that he never ceased 

 harassing his father with questions about the names, qualities, and nature of every plant he saw, 

 and often used to enquire more than even his father, who was an expert botanist, was able to 

 answer/' '' Whilst at school," the Diary continues, " he employed his play hours hunting after 

 plants," hence he was called " The Little Botanist." He had made an Herbarium '' at this 

 early period," and '' his plants were classed after the system of Tournefort." From school he 

 went to " the university of Lund." Thence he removed to the famous university of '' Upsal." 

 Here an accident brought him early into notice. '' In the autumn of the year 1729, 

 LiNN^us was examining very intensely some plants in the Academic Garden, when Celsus, a 

 venerable Divine, happened to have repaired thither for the same purpose. They fell into con- 

 versation, and Celsus was so struck with admiration at the vast knowledge of plants discovered 

 by LiNN^us, that he requested him to bring his Herbarium along with him, which was even then 

 very rich, and live with him free of every expense." Linn^us frankly observes in his Diary, 

 '' that in the library of Celsus he first saw a review in the Leipsic Commentaries of Vaillant's 

 ' Discourse on the Structure of Flowers,' which strongly inculcates the Sexes of Plants J" and 

 that this induced him to be more attentive to the Stamina and Pistilla in flowers, and that after 

 minute and diligent examination, he foun^ them to vary even as much as the Petals themselves ; 

 upon which last circumstance the famous system of Tournefort is founded." The result of this 

 extended enquiry Linn^us committed to writing, and Celsus was so pleased with this manu- 

 script treatise on the Sexes of Plants, that he sent it to Rudbec, the Professor of Botany at 

 Upsal, who expressed much approbation, and in consequence desired Linn^us to be sent to him. 

 The result of their meeting was the appointment of Linn^us as lecturer in the room of Rudbec, 

 who was now too far advanced in years to continue lecturing. Linn^us, therefore, gave his 

 first public lecture in that university in the spring of 1730, and although only twenty4hree years 

 of age, was received by the pupils with every flattering mark of approbation ; and Rudbec 

 appointed him also tutor to his sons, and he enjoyed, in the house of the aged professor, every 



* The discovery, of theSexe. of Plants is often arrogated by the French to Vaillant, but justly belongs to our own countryman Sir 

 l^Z^^Z:- ^'"' ' ""^ " °" "^"'"^^" '''^'^' " ^^'--^^^^'^ - ^^- .e.e.o/i^-^." where the ti.eTndrn'r o^ 



this discovery is given. 



