.'52 
MEMOIR OF LINNjEUS. 
ralist, who amply compensated this indulgence by his 
strict attention. It was here that he composed his 
SpoUa Botanica, a work never published, and con- 
tracted a friendship with Artedi, afterwards celebrated 
for his Ichthyology. These two young men now de- 
voted their whole leisure to natural history ; Linnseus 
reserving for his share, birds, insects, and plants, while 
his companion took fishes, reptiles, &c. 
About this period, Le Vaillant published his essay, 
“ Sur la Structure des Fleurs the perusal of which 
raised in the mind of Linnseus the ideas of the import- 
ance of the stamina and pistils, and was the dawning 
of that system, hitherto uncontroverted, and on which 
his fame will continue based. The first sketch of this 
he drew in the form of a dissertation, “ De nuptiis 
Arborum" and presented it to Dr Celsius, who again 
showed it to Professor Rudbeck. The latter was so 
pleased with the tract and its author, that he appointed 
him tutor to his children, and soon after having ob- 
tained permission, on account of his advanced age, to 
have an assistant in his duties, Linn»us was thought 
capable of teaching the science of botany, and was 
placed nearly at the head of an establishment, in which 
a year before he had applied for the situation of 
gardener. 
He now lectured publicly, suggested alterations in 
the garden, endeavoured to introduce some arrange- 
ment, and began the valuable practice of giving bota- 
nical excursions to his students, noticing the plants 
which occurred in the vicinity of Upsala. He also 
