LINN/US’S LETTERS 291 
fifteen of which are extant. ) ca i of this may 
be that when the Aca ribts ras Science, after Linné e 
missioned his oldest and most trusted friend to deliver a memoria al 
emy of cience, broly. ?. Elvius and P. an- 
gentin, as wiped related in the preface to the second vo olum 
“Tt is readily to be understood that Linné, in consequen 
na do shige we marvellously intense, almost feverish, activity 
n many different departments—scientific thorship, lectures an 
other ote extensive correspondence ith persons through- 
out the civilized world, time-absorbing patent in university 
pees &¢c.—did not consider himself obliged to acrifice much 
therefore, in a cag measure be com aa s a kind of hasty 
dress, in full and hurried activity; in writing these letters mani- 
fostly it was far from him to seek t o employ well-known phrases, 
in which ‘ words are to conceal thou canis 
‘The letters to Bick must meanwhile not be regarded as ae 
for Linné the only and cherished means of diversion. By study 
f them we can easily find evidence of the warm interest with 
their solution through these modest lette many busy 
naturalists had them to thank for the Seidieatiods, of their plans 
and the accomplishment of their hopes. 
correspondence was most animated during 1751-59. 
Daring this period both correspondents began to realize a wish to 
unite profit with pleaaiiaas the letters should not exclusively con- 
sist of confidential talk about all sorts of subjects, but might ee 
attain sipaogpes facility in the Latin language. During 
ars only a small number of Latin letters were perc ne ss the 
cong ith few exceptions the letters written by Linné to Back 
in the possession of the Royal Academy of Science, where they 
pean partly by purchase “ the so Swartzian collection, 
partly by 
