MEMOIR OF LINN^US. 



ralist, who amply compensated this indulgence by his 

 strict attention. It was here that he composed his 

 Spotta Botanica, a work never published., and con- 

 tracted a friendship with Artedi, afterwards celebrated 

 for his Ichthyology. These two young men now de- 

 voted their whole leisure to natural history ; Linnaeus 

 reserving for his share, birds, insects, and plants, while 

 his companion took fishes, reptiles, &c. 



About this period, Le Vaillant published his essay, 

 " Sur la Structure des Fleurs ;" the perusal of which 

 raised in thi mind of Linnaeus the ideas of the import- 

 ance of the stamina and pistils, and was the dawning 

 of that system, hitherto uncontroverted, and on which 

 his fame will continue based. The first sketch of this 

 he drew in the form of a dissertation, " De nuptiis 

 Arborum" and presented it to Dr Celsius, who again 

 showed it to Professor Rudbeck. The latter was so 

 pleased with the tract and its author, that he appointed 

 him tutor to his children, and soon after having ob- 

 tained permission, on account of his advanced age, to 

 have an assistant in his duties, Linnaeus was thought 

 capable of teaching the science of botany, and was 

 placed nearly at the head of an establishment, in which 

 a year before he had applied for the situation of 

 gardener. 



He now lectured publicly, suggested alterations in 

 the garden, endeavoured to introduce some arrange- 

 ment, and began the valuable practice of giving bota- 

 nical excursions to his students, noticing the plants 

 which occurred in the vicinity of Upsala. He also 



