Though comparatively few even of his own country- 

 men of the present day are familiar with the name 

 of Peter Artedi, there are, in fact, not many men 

 on the proud roll of famous Swedish naturalists and 

 scientists who have greater or better claims to be held 

 in honourable remembrance than he, occupying as he 

 does a very prominent place among the pioneers of 

 natural science study. By way of commemoration of 

 the 200th anniversary of this illustrious man's birth, it 

 is here proposed to give a sketch of his brief life and 

 also some appreciation of his significance in the history 

 of biological investigation. 



It appears that Peter Artedi came of a family which 

 was settled in the Government of Vesterbotten in North 

 Sweden. The first member of the family to adopt the 

 name, which — in a variant, simplified form — his 

 descendant was to make famous, was the son of a peas- 

 ant farmer residing in the village of Hiske, which is 

 situated in the compass of the rural parish of Umea. 1 

 This man was born in 1635 or thereabouts, and called 

 himself subsequently Petrus Martini Arct^edius. He 

 appears to have decided to strike out a new line, for 

 we find him resorting to the University at Abo, in Fin- 

 land, where he matriculated in 1656. Seven years later, 

 on April 3 1663, he was appointed a master at the 

 Pitea Grammar School by the Consistory of the Norr- 

 land Diocese, located at Hernosand. He proceeded at 



1 The town of Umea is situated near the mouth of the River 

 Ume, which flows out into the Gulf of Bothnia. Pitea is similarly 

 situated, about 120 miles further north; Hernosand also lies close 

 to the Baltic Sea, about the same distance SSW. of Umea. 



