te Pes Ee Vig Fn 
a 
Notice of British Naturalists. 143 
Species by itself, with the double view of noting its own pecu- 
liarities, and its connection with the one great whole. 
If, as has been said, he took the first hint of his zoological sys- 
tem from Ray, and if he owes to Aristotle and Aldrovandi many 
of his materials, he yet claims the praise of originally elucidating 
and fixing the most important principles of nature. What thein- 
ventor of the watch owes to the miner, and to the worker in 
metals, and to him who first observed the elasticity of the steel 
spring, so much does Linnaeus owe to those who preceded him. 
The material world lay before him, and he made himself its mas- 
r 
As regards England, his influence was at once perceptible and 
became ultimately very great. His pupils dispersed themselves 
Over the world to collect specimens, and with their master’s sci- 
ence extended both his fame and their own. The Travels of 
these students were translated, and given to the British public as 
early as 1771. The Amenitates Academica* were quickly prin- 
ted both in Holland and Germany, parts of them, being translated, 
Were published in England. A new interest in Natural History 
Was thus created. It became not only the amusement of men of 
leisure, but the diligent pursuit of the learned ; and Societies and 
tofessorships were every where instituted for its promotion. The 
ystema Nature now became the universal Text Book, and 
having been enlarged, although perhaps scarcely improved, by 
Professer Gmelin, it was used as a basis by contemporary and 
subsequent writers. In 1778 Linnaeus died, having produced a 
greater and more lasting effect upon the mind of Europe, and hav- 
ing roused in the world with more effectual energy than perhaps 
any literary man had ever done before or has done since. 
From this period we may date the general establishment of 
Museums in England.* We do not mean to say there were ne 
Museums previous to that period. The first on record ‘was form- 
ed about 1650, by John Tradescant, who was either a Fleming 
" contains a fine, 
The following extract from the paper ‘ Cui bono,’ now rare, 
and, for those times, a very enlarged view of the subject :— 
“Tandem quoque ex contemplitione rerum creatarum, VIS 
freata ad nostram utilia sint necessitatem, licet non immediate, : 
dum et tertium. Immé ita, quod maximé nobis nocere putamus, sepe plurimam 
hobis expediat. Absque his vita nostra longe nobis difficillima, aded ut, si cardua 
* spine non crescerent, terra nostra mult) esset sterilior, &c. 
visuri sumus, quod omnia 
