48 
LINNAEUS 
sexes on the same individual, such as maize or Typha , 
the male flowers are uppermost so that the pollen may 
fall upon the pistils; that if the male flowers are 
removed, no fructification takes place; that if, in 
hermaphrodite flowers, the anthers are removed, true 
seed cannot develop, but they are infertile and never 
grow up, though sown in the best soil. Finally is 
related the idea that for the formation of seed, there 
is the analogy between these seeds, and the ova of 
animals. 
Such in short is the chief contents of this little but 
noteworthy memoir, which at once evoked no small 
attention. Copies of it were made, so that it rapidly 
circulated amongst the students in manuscript. Pre¬ 
sumably through the young medical student J. O. 
Rudbeck, it came under Professor Rudbeck’s eyes, 
who so much liked this tract, that he went himself to 
Dr. Celsius, merely to ask who the student was, who 
had shown so much knowledge in botany. A fair 
written copy with scarcely varied title, was communi¬ 
cated to the Royal Society of Science at its meeting on 
the 23rd April, 1730, presumably by Rudbeck. In the 
minutes drawn up by Anders Celsius, it appears that 
the Society gladly received the author’s ripe studies 
and experience in botany, and desired that the said 
dissertation might be printed and published. 
Another result of this paper was that it surpassed 
the boldest expectations. Professor Rudbeck, who 
was busy on his great “ Lexicon harmonicum ” and for 
its completion had received from the Chancellor many 
helpers subsidized by Royal stipends, wanted some 
one to undertake instruction in botany, that is, to hold 
demonstrations at the end of each spring term, con¬ 
cerning the plants in the botanic garden. At first 
he thought of the acting Adjunct, E. Preutz, who 
expressed himself quite willing, but Professor Rudbeck 
took him into the garden and noted that Preutz was 
not at home there. So he sent for Carl Linnseus, led 
him to the garden, examined him long and thoroughly, 
