LINNiEUS. 227 



opinion of him : — '' A botanist is arisen in the Nortli, 

 who has founded a new method on tlie stamens 

 and pistils, whose name is Linnaeus. He has pub- 

 lished Fundamenta Botanica, Bibliotheca Botanica, 

 Systema Naturae ; and is now printing in Holland 

 his Characteres, and his Flora Lapponica. He is 

 a Swede, and has travelled over Lapland. He has 

 a thorough insight and knowledge of botany, though 

 I am afraid his method will not hold. He came hi- 

 ther, and stayed about eight days, but is now gone 

 back to Sweden." 



On his return to Holland, which took place in 

 September, Linnaeus continued his researches with 

 increased diligence. In the course of the year 1737, 

 he laid before the scientific world about two hun- 

 dred printed sheets, not of compilation, nor of 

 fiction, but for the most part completely original. 

 The Genera Plantarum, containing the characters 

 of all the genera of plants according to the number, 

 form, situation, and proportion of their organs of 

 generation, was the first work published by him 

 after his return from England. This treatise ex- 

 hibited 935 genera, to which were added during the 

 same year sixty others, in a supplement, to which 

 he also appended a concise view of his system. A 

 full account of the plants observed by him in Lap- 

 land, arranged according to the method invented 

 by himself, formed his next undertaking. It was 

 dedicated to the Royal Society of Upsal, and con- 

 tained a brief physico-geographical description of the 

 country. At the solicitation of Gronovius, he per- 

 mitted one of the productions of that northern region 

 to be named after himself, Linmea borealis. The 

 great object of his residence at Hartecamp was now 



