ST. MARTIN'S SUMMER 353 



This festival was the culminating point of Linnaeus's 

 life, his epoch of full achievement. 



In 1765 young Carl von Linn6 took his degree of 

 M.D. ; it is not stated where, nor if the regulation con- 

 cerning the necessity of graduating abroad .was still in 

 force ; but shortly after this time he began a tour in 

 Europe, seeing a good deal of Haller and his son, and 

 he now began to give lectures. 



In 1765, Linne's eldest daughter, who married (now) 

 Captain von Bergencranz, returned afterwards to her 

 parents, and lived constantly in their house. 1 She had 

 an infant daughter. We do not hear if Fru von Ber- 

 gencranz was a widow, or if her husband was ordered 

 away on military service. She seems to have been a 

 superior woman, although Fabricius does not admire her 

 much. Her remarks on a luminous appearance of the 

 Indian cresses 2 were considered worth inserting in a 

 natural-history magazine of that period. Sparks such 

 as arise from fulminating powder were first observed 

 by Fru Bergencranz, when walking in her father's 

 garden at Hammarby. She mentions the appearance 

 as being visible only in the dusk of evening, and 

 ceasing when total darkness came on. Mr. Wilckes 

 considered this phenomenon of an electrical nature. 

 Lowell speaks of phosphorescent wood as a phenomenon 

 familiar to most country boys. In speaking of electric 

 clouds and phosphorescent mountains, the 'Times,' 

 September 1, 1885, says, ' Some rare instances are on 

 1 Fabricius. 2 Nasturtium. 



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