s 
262 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 
“THE PLACE OF LINNAZUS IN THE HISTORY OF 
' BOTANY. 
By Penr Onsson-Serrer. 
THe ys recently in Stockholm an extensive biography 
of icasue by Prof. Th. M. Fries,* who has devoted many years to 
a careful and ssaipartiol study of the literature and. documents 
relating to the life of that great: naturalist of two centuries ago. 
Certain German botanists have taken the opportunity of reviewing 
this work to attempt to deprive Linneus of almost every vestige of 
“5 Te a a botanist. It is especially Profess ssors 8. Kalischer 
d A. Hansen who have sallied forth ¢ o the task, and, although 
ptt wtitets ann — themselves rs the ameaton of the daily 
press, it.seems necessar o draw the attention of natural scientists 
us which 
opinions expressed in. print on his im portance in the history of 
botanical science, it may be proper to point out that the adverse 
criticisms of Linneus which lately have been published are nothing 
but reiterations. = what Prof. Sachs wrote many years ago in his 
mo Botan 
This work of ‘Bashs:i is still, at the present “iter the only general 
history “of f botany. available, mgr it is only quite natural that m 
readers, not having h opportunity themselves of carrer a 
study of the sources, should ‘accept the.statements of a recognized 
— such as this 
can, however. eesly escape remark, even on superficial 
a perusal of the said work, that Sachs employs a very bitter, hostile 
tone whenever he mentions Linneus. The present writer has 
often wondered why so long a time has been allowed to elapse 
since the appearance of this work without a vigorous protest having 
been: made against the manner in which. this prominent author. has 
treated. the oo taig of Linneus,.and his influence on botanical 
no harm éonld be done to the reputation of Linneus, either in the 
minds of scientists or in the opinion of the general public, even by 
a writer of such a marked eminence as the late Prof. Sachs. 
Space forbids our che into detailed distiasie of the state- 
ments made by Sachs, even though we might not hesitate to argue 
against the ation although their author is no longer able to 
illustrated by a. few quotations from Sachs’s work, will —— to 
show the. inasiee the tendency of his criticism. 
——— 
nné : Lefnadsteckning, af Th. M. Fries. Stockholm 1904]. a Ba. 
). 
c* 
Eris see, ‘Bilag. i-xvii. pp. 1-48: 444, Bilag. xviii-xxiii. pp. 1-46). With nume- 
s.] 
rous text-cuts and portrai 
- __ + The only protest known to the writer is contained in J. G. Agardh’s paper’ 
“ Ueber die Bedeutung Linne’s in der Geschichte der Botanik.”’ Ein Blatt zur 
ites Pein’ in Lund am 10 Jan. 1878. Lunds Universitets Arsskrift, T. xiv. 
