PREFECT OF THE BOTANIC GARDEN 257 
Rudbeck’s whale, two thigh bones and other things 
given by himself. The project was approved by the 
Consistory. This natural curiosity chamber, eventu¬ 
ally formed, aroused so little attention, that after 
Roberg’s death in 1742, a dispute arose between the 
Consistory and Roberg’s heir, Madame Eenhielm, 
about its proprietorship, which led the Consistory to 
desire that a proper chamber should be formed, after 
the proprietorship had been decided. After many 
discussions, it was determined to place these objects 
in Professor Mathesius’s house, being sealed in 1746 
by the Uniyersity, and there they remained till 1752, 
when rent being demanded for the past years, the 
University declared that these objects were theirs. 
There was also another small collection housed in the 
Library (but practically inaccessible), including the 
Burser herbarium, and a Swedish collection formed 
by Gabriel Holsten. 
Linne (who must be regarded as the founder of 
the University zoological collections) began, after he 
became Professor, to present objects, many of which 
he described in theses. In September, 1744, he had 
the pleasure of declaring that the Chancellor, Count 
Carl Gyllenborg, had presented specimens preserved 
in spirit; and other gifts from Prince Adolf Fredrik 
followed. In 1746, a shell cabinet was given by 
Councillor E. Petraeus. Within the next few years 
there came additions from the Swedish members 
of the East India Company, Lagerstrom and 
Alstromer. These were at first lodged in the top floor 
of the Professor’s house in the garden, but were soon 
removed to the orangery, where means had to be 
devised to protect them from damp. Unhappily 
these means were adopted too late, as the inventory 
made after Linne’s death showed that the stuffed 
animals were injured by moth or damp. 
While Linne, especially early in his professorial 
career, showed himself active in promoting the zoo¬ 
logical museum, he was also engaged in getting 
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