Notice of British Naturalists. 143 



species by itself, with the double view of noting its own pecu- 

 liarities, and its connection with the one great whole. 



If, as has been said, he took the first hint of his zoological sys- 

 tem from Ray, and if he owes to Aristotle and Aldrovandi many 

 of his materials, he yet claims the praise of originally elucidating 

 and fixing the most important principles of nature. What the in- 

 ventor of the watch owes to the miner, and to the worker in 

 metals, and to him who first observed the elasticity of the steel 

 spring, so much does Linnasus owe to those who preceded him. 

 The material world lay before him, and he made himself its mas- 

 ter. 



As regards England, his influence was at once perceptible and 

 became ultimately very great. His pupils dispersed themselves 

 over the world to collect specimens, and with their master's sci- 

 ence extended both his fame and their own. The Travels of 

 these students were translated, and given to the British public as 

 early as 1771. The Amcenitates Academics* were quickly prin- 

 ted both in Holland and Germany, parts of them, being translated, 

 were published in England. A new interest in Natural History 

 was thus created. It became not only the amusement of men of 

 leisure, but the diligent pursuit of the learned ; and Societies and 

 Professorships were everywhere instituted for its promotion. The 

 Systema Naturce now became the universal Text Book, and 

 having been enlarged, although perhaps scarcely improved, by 

 Professor Gmelin, it was used as a b^sis by contemporary and 

 subsequent writers. In 1778 Linnaeus died, having produced a 

 greater and more lasting effect upon the mind of Europe, and hav- 

 ing roused in the world with more effectual energy than perhaps 

 any literary man had ever done before or has done since. 



From this period we may date the general establishment of 

 museums in England.* We do not mean to say there were no 

 museums previous to that period. The first on record was form- 

 ed about 1650, by John Tradescant, who was either a Fleming 



* The following extract from the paper ' Cui bono,' now rare, contains a fine, 

 and, for those times, a very enlarged view of the subject i — 



" Tandem quoque ex contemplJitione reriim creatarum, vism'i sumuss, quod omnia 

 creata ad nostram utilia sint necessitatem, licet non immediate, sed saspe per secun- 

 dum et tertium. Immo ita, quod maxime nobis nocere putamus, saepe plurimum 

 nobis expediat. Absque his vita nostra longe nobis difficillima, adeo ut, si cardui 

 et spinas non crescerent, terra nostra multo esset sterilior, &c. 



