366 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



somewhat taller than his father, but at that time less 

 corpulent. His delivery was fluent, but mixed with a 

 certain cold indifference. It appeared as if his exer- 

 tions were rather a strict performance of the duties of 

 his station than a genuine zeal flowing from a natural 

 fondness for his science ; his father, on the contrary, 

 betrayed, in his conversation upon subjects relative 

 to natural history, an enthusiastic predilection and a 

 most scrutinising zeal. The lecture which the younger 

 Linne gave was upon the classes of plants with five 

 stamina. Many living ones were exposed in garden pots 

 in the lecture-room, then taken out of the mould, 

 divided into small branches, and distributed among 

 those of the audience who were the most attentive. 



'When the lecture-hour had expired, the younger 

 Linne showed me the Cassowary from Ceylon, of which 

 the late queen-dowager of Sweden had made a present 

 to his father. 1 This large bird was uncommonly tame, 

 moved about with a grave strut, and eyed attentively 

 everybody that would notice him. He had in his com- 

 pany two English bantams, with their bantlings. The 

 gigantic Cassowary showed himself very complaisant 

 and attentive to his little companions, and looked down 

 on the ground at every strut he made, as if apprehen- 

 sive lest he should crush any of his little clucking com- 

 panions.' Old men are always ready to be entertained 

 with light comedy. Linne had always relished the comic 

 ways of his pet monkey and other animals, their ' inimit- 

 1 This was written after Louisa Ulrica's death. She died in 1782. 



