still another
classification, determining the distinguishing character chiefly
from the flower, and Camerarius and Tournefort also made elaborate
classifications. On the Continent Tournefort's classification was the
most popular until the time of Linnaeus, his systematic arrangement
including about eight thousand species of plants, arranged chiefly
according to the form of the corolla.

Most of these early workers gave attention to both vegetable and
animal kingdoms. They were called naturalists, and the field of their
investigations was spoken of as "natural history." The specialization of
knowledge had not reached that later stage in which botanist, zoologist,
and physiologist felt their labors to be sharply divided. Such a
division was becoming more and more necessary as the field of knowledge
extended; but it did not become imperative until long after the time
of Linnaeus. That naturalist himself, as we shall see, was equally
distinguished as botanist and as zoologist. His great task of organizing
knowledge was applied to the entire range of living things.

Carolus Linnaeus was born in the town of Rashult, in Sweden, on May 13,
1707. As a child he showed great aptitude in learning botanical names,
and remembering facts about various plants as told him by his father.
His eagerness for knowledge did not extend to the ordinary primary
studies, however, and, aside from the single exception of the study of
physiology, he proved himself an indifferent pupil. His backwardness was
a sore trial to his father, who was desirous that his son should enter
the ministry; but as the young Linnaeus showed no liking for that
calling, and as he had acquitted himself well in his study of
physiology, his father at last decided to allow him to take up the study
of medicine. Here at last was a field more to the liking of the boy,
who soon vied with the best of his fellow-students for first honors.
Meanwhile he kept steadily at work in his study of natural history,
acquiring considerable knowledge of ornithology, entomology, and botany,
and adding continually to his collection of botanical specimens. In 1729
his botanical knowledge was brought to the attention of Olaf Rudbeck,
professor of botany in the University of Upsala, by a short paper on the
sexes of plants which Linnaeus had prepared. Rudbeck was so impressed by
some of the ideas expressed in this paper that he appointed the author
as his assistant the following year.

This was