ii8 West American Scie7itist. 



EMINENT NA TURALISTS— VI. 



LINNAEUS. 



On May 24th, 1707, a little child was born in an obscure town 

 in Sweden. His father was a Protestant minister, and as the years 

 went by, he thought it best that this son should be educated for 

 the same sacred ofhce But little Carl's mind seemed to be more 

 bent on studying flowers than conning- books, so his teachers ad- 

 vised the good father to alter his plans for the boy's future, and 

 apprentice him to a carpenter or a tailor. 



True, h(^ seemed unusally bright in the subjects which claimed 

 his attention ; he knew the names of the flowers which grew in 

 his father's spacious garden, when but a lad, and books of science, 

 particularly those about plants and animals, were his delight. 

 Still, it did not seem best for him to continue the studies which 

 would fit him for a place like his fat tier's, and so that plan was 

 abandoned. 



Fortunately, his love for the objects of nature attracted the 

 attention of a physician, and under the supervision of this friend, 

 he was allowed to study both botany and the principles of med- 

 icine. 



Conscious of the power which lay within himself, Linne, or Lin- 

 naeus, as his name is commonly v\ritten, endeavored in 1728, to 

 gain a place at the University of Upsal, where he might use the 

 knowledge which he had obtained, and which he wished to make 

 available for others also. But in this he failed, and no opening 

 was ready for the young scholar. 



Somewhat disheartened by this attempt, he turned his attention 

 to medicine, hoping to perfect himself as a physician- But he did 

 not give up his love for flowers, and occasionally he obtained a 

 chance to lecture upon his favorite science. 



The evident talent which he possessed attracted attention at 

 length, and he was commissioned by the Royal Academy of Sci- 

 ences to make a botanical tour through Lapland. He accepted 

 the charge, and in 1731 he set ofl" to that cold and uninviting 

 country. 



Departing from the ordinary line of travel, he crossed moun- 

 tain ranges, explored the plains, and traveled up and down the 

 country, often enduring great risks and hardships. But he 

 returned at length, having successfully accomplished the work 

 which he had undertaken, and as a result of which he afterwards 

 published his Flora Laponica. 



He was poorly paid for this enterprise, and soon went to Hol- 

 land, where he finished his medical studies, and had the good 

 fortune to fall in with a rich Amsterdam banker, who had a fine 

 residence, an extensive library and a garden full of interesting 

 plants. To this delightful spot was Linnaeus invited, and there 

 he spent two happy years, studying and arranging specimens, and 



