40 SVEN LOVEN, ON THE ECHINOIDEA DESCRIBED BY LINN.«US. 



of the Royal Pair from these peacefiil pursuits, while tlie ex- 

 penses of partv-intrigues absorbed the nervus verum geren- 

 darian. The preparations already far advanced were broken 

 ort", the artists ceased from their work, and Linn.ecs had to 

 consign his maniiscripts to a repose that was to last for years. 

 He became, himself, from that time a rare visitor at the Queen's 

 Museum. 



Already early in 1753 Linn.eus had been able to Avrite 

 to his friends that the Species Plantarum was printing^), and 

 in the autumn of that year was published this long-prepared 

 work, on which he had »bestowed all his energies», and which 

 she alwavs regarded as his best» 2). It was followed in 1754 

 by the fifth edition of the Genera Plantarum, and in 1755 bv 

 the second of the Flora Suecica. And now the order came 

 to the Animal Kingdom of the Systema Naturs. The whole 

 of the year 1756 he was at work at its new edition^), the 

 fourth of his own, called the tenth, »an altogether new work», 

 »without its equal in Natural Historyx, »the sum of all he had 

 seen in this world»*). At the close of the year 1757 the 

 printing of its first part was done, which in the following Fe- 

 bruary he sent to Count Tessin with the dedication. It com- 

 prised »omnes species sibi cognitas animalium»^). Linn^eus 

 had all the time counted upon having the two Royal works 

 out, to be referred to for the full descriptions given there of 

 a great number of species. But in this he had been dis- 

 appointed; their publication had been deferred indefinitely and 

 for vears. There is even no indication of their author havino- 

 had an opportunity oftered him of examining anew the ori- 

 ginal specimens in the Queen's Museum, where stränge faces 

 and perhaps a cool reception awaited the friend of a fallen 

 Minister. »Ever since it pleased Your Majesty:^, he writes in 

 a memorial some years låter, »now more than ten years ago, 

 to intrust me with describino- the matchless collection of In- 

 seets and Shells at Drottningholm, these descriptions have 



') L. to Wahlbom " ,• to Bäck " 

 ^) Egenh. Anteckn., p'. 54, 78. 

 ') Tb. p. 56. 



, 53. 



*) Ib. p. 58, 70. 



*) L. to BÄCK, "/u 56. asking him to revise the printed sheets; 

 ^' 12 ö7:„ printing linished. — L. to Tessin '" , 58, with the dedication 

 copy. Äheling, 1. c. p. 45. 



*) Egenh. Anteckn., p. 56. 



