TRAVELLING PUPILS OF LINN/EUS. 179 



acquired great merit in his profession of botanist to the King, and in 

 advancing natural knowledge. The Spanish government wished to 

 profit still farther by his talents. In 1755 he was sent to South Avieri- 

 ca^ to travel through the different Spanish settlements and possessions, 

 and to explore their natural produce ; but scarce had he been a twelve- 

 month in that southern region ere he fell a viftim to its climate. He 

 died February 11th, 1756, in the flower of youth, aged twenty-seven 

 years, and crowned with merit. Linn^us was singularly afFefted at 

 the loss of him. Among all his travelling disciples he was one of the 

 most zealous and most learned botanists, and none had a finer oppor- 

 tunity to enrich his science *. He left to his great teacher at Upsal the 

 the melancholy pleasure of publishing his voyage, and dedicating to his 

 memory a plant which he denominated Loeflingia t. 



LiNN>£Us did not live to hear of the tragical exit of another of his 

 pupils, v/ho, like Loffi.ing, revered him as liis promoter. This was 

 J. P. Falk. He was born in West Gothland in 1730, and came to 

 Upsal in 1751, to study natural history. His diligence and poverty were 

 equally great. He was as much distressed as Linn ^us once had been. 

 The latter did for Falk what Celsius and Rudbeck had formerly 

 done for himself. He took him into his house and made him tutor to 

 his son, afterwards professor Linn^us. In the year 1759 he made a 

 tour to Gothland. The good fortune of Forskal induced him two 

 years after to go to Copenhagen^ in hopes of being chosen a member of 

 the society of the Arabian travellers- His hopes were, however, frus- 



* Nulhis erat facile huic anteferendus, vel amore plantarum vel sola eruditione botanica, 

 nullique similis occasio concessa fuit. Amccnitai. Acad. vol. vi. 



i- Petri Loeflixgji her Hhfantcnin, Stock. i748,odavo, 



A a 2 trated, 



