40 STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



and an acute botanist, and his name must ever 

 rank among the most endearing of those which 

 add lustre to our science. 



(17.) It is impossible, in the rapid survey we are 

 now taking, to dwell upon all the names, much less 

 to enumerate all the works, which now propagated 

 the system of Linnaeus, and gained fresh converts to 

 the study of nature. For about fourteen years the 

 illustrious Swede reigned, without a competitor, over 

 the empire of zoology. But a formidable rival then 

 arose, who divided with him the honours of su- 

 premacy. It will be necessary, however, before 

 anticipating this part of our history, to notice a 

 few writers, whose names occur between the years 

 1734 and 1754, or a period of about twenty years ; 

 during which time, nearly every thing that was 

 published on systematic natural history emanated 

 alone from Linnaeus. Rumph (or, as he is more 

 generally called, Rumphius), was a Dutch merchant 

 resident for many years in Amboyna, during which 

 time he investigated both the botany and concho- 

 logy of that productive island, and he published the 

 result in two separate works, still of much value.* 

 There is a very interesting portrait of this venerable 

 worthy, who nearly completed seventy years, pre- 

 fixed to one of his works, representing him, — as he 

 became in his latter days, — blind; yet still taking 

 delight in examining his favourite shells by touch, 

 when he could no longer do so by sight. The 



* G. E. Rumphius. (1.) Thesaurus Imaginum Piscium 

 Testaceorum, &c. Hagae Comitum, 1739. folio. (2.) Cabinet 

 d'Amboine, en Hollandois. Amst. 1705. 1 vol. folio. — 

 CCuvier.) 



