[ 30 3 



through all the former editions of his Syftem to 

 the tenth ; when he removed the cetaceous order 

 into the clafs of the mammalia \ and inftead of re- 

 taining in the remaining orders the diftindions 

 arifing from the hony or cartilaginous texture of 

 the fMS 5 he eftablifhed them on the fituation of 

 the ventral fins^ which he confiders as analogous 

 to the feet in other animals, as they are placed 

 either before, underneath, or behind the fe^loral 

 fins. 



In this work Artedi has exhibited an inftance of 

 genius, labour, and application, that cannot fail 

 to excite the greateft regret at his early death. 

 He has given to Ichthyology that degree of perfec- 

 tion, which his friend afterwards extended through 

 all the animal kingdom, and which muft remain 

 a lading monument of his abilities. In parti- 

 cular, his defcriptions of the indigenous fifhes of 

 Sweden^ are fcientific to a degree that had never 

 before been feen ; and we cannot fufficiently ad- 

 mire the pains he muft have taken to extricate 

 the fynonyms from every author on the fubjed. 

 Artedi^ after his return from England^ was re- 

 tained, at the recommendation of Linn^us, by 

 Seba of Amfterdam^ to complete that part of his 

 Thefaurus relating to fifties, and was unfortunately 

 drowned in one of the canals in that city. Lm- 

 N^us, in a fliort account of the author's life, has 

 lamented his untimely deceafe, in a manner which 

 does no lefs honour to his friend than to his owa 

 feelings. 



We muft now accompany our author into 

 Sweden^ whither he returned about the latter end 



of 



