so 



PEOCEEDINGS OF THE 



speech Delicice Noturce, requires an acquaintance (to some extent 

 at least) with its letters, words, and grammar. Then only, and not 

 till then, can one enjoy all the beautiful compositions in that 

 laii<^nn>Te. The same also holds good as regards that language in 

 which the history of plants is written ; the botanical terms cor- 

 respond to letters, the names of plants to words, and the system 

 to the grammar. 



Does this ntterance of Linnaeus contain merely empty words? 

 Ko; on the contrary, it is well nigh impossible to point to an 

 investigator in botany who has studied the world of plants from 

 80 many sides, and who pointed out so many new aspects from 

 which it ought to be examined. Even if Linnaeus in many cases 

 did not bring to a final issue the special questions presenting 

 themselves in detailed investigations, he nevertheless endeavoured 

 to give the primary idea in a few keen, striking touches, to be com- 

 pleted afterwards by his successors, who not seldom got credit 

 for the whole. 



However alluring this theme may be, the swift flight of time 

 forbids a more extended presentation of it. In a very brief way 

 we may be allowed to point out that it was, in fact, Linnaeus who 

 drew the outlines of the geography of plants, although Hum- 

 boldt and AVahleiiberg are generally mentioned as the creators of 

 them ; so also regarding the doctrine of the metamorphosis 

 of plants, the author of which is equally generally believed 

 to be the poet Goethe. And what a multitude of important 

 contributions to a knowledge of the phenomena of plant-life 

 has he not brought to light ! We may call to mind that it 

 was he who partly discovered, and partly restated more clearly 

 after renewed observations, such fundamental phenomena of 

 plant-life as fecundation, hybridization, dispersion of seeds, 

 the structure of buds, development depending upon seasoiis 

 (phenology), the periodically varying positions of the leaves 

 and flowers (somnus et vigiliae plantarum), malformations (tera- 

 tologv), the connection between external characters and the more 

 active properties, protective agencies, the relation of plants to 

 the animal kingdom, and so forth. Even the burning questions 

 of the day we find were not altogether foreign to him, such as 

 "the struggle for existence," protective resemblances (mimicry), 

 and others, although he gave, at least in certain cases, to the 

 facts gathered by him another interpretation than they, rightly 

 or wrongly, receive to-day. Linna^us's exploratious of nature 

 therefoi'e form no ^harp contrast with those of our days. On the 

 contrary, one might adduce, for instance, that the doctrine about 

 the constancy of species from the creation of the world, so genc- 

 rall}' declared to be an axiom of Linujcus, in reality underwent 

 an essential modification during his long and busy authorship, and 

 it is not at all diflicult to ])ick out expressions that are in perfect 

 accord with Darwin's doctrine " On the Origin of Species." 

 Nevertheless the activity of Liunacsus did not confine itself to 



