54 MEMOIR OF SWAMMERDAM. 





business of life; and numerous other errors, from 

 which his good sense and general intelligence, if left 

 to themselves, would have sufficed to preserve him. 



After his death, his museum was offered for sale 

 for five thousand florins ; hut no one appearing to 

 give even that sum, so far below its real value, it 

 was disposed of in small lots. It was thus completely 

 dispersed, and lost for ever to men of science. The 

 anatomical preparations were very numerous, and he 

 had carefully preserved e.very thing relating to his 

 entomological and other investigations, that he might 

 have them to appeal to as unquestionable vouchers of 

 the truth of his statements. He had collected about 

 three thousand different species of insects ; many 

 of the kinds occurring in his neighbourhood he had 

 preserved in their various states, having been accus- 

 tomed to hatch the eggs artificially, and watch the 

 progressive changes of the larvae that spring from 

 them. His instruments, microscopes, &c., shared 

 the same fate with the objects on which they had 

 been employed. Boerhaave deposited the manu- 

 scripts and drawings which came into his possession, 

 and furnished him with materials for the Biblia Na- 

 turce and an account of its author's life, in the public 

 library of the University of Leyden, that they might 

 remain as a monument to the talents and zeal of his 

 distinguished countryman. 



Considerable curiosity must naturally be felt to 

 become acquainted with the means adopted by this 

 lynx-eyed anatomist to effect those beautiful dis- 

 coveries which distinguish his name so highly above 



