ARTEDI (John), was born in the year 1705, in the province of Angermania, in Sweden. From nature he inherited an ardent passion for all branches of natural history, but he excelled most in that branch of it which is termed ichthyology. In 1724 he went to study at the university of Upsal, where some years afterwards he gained the friendship of the immortal Linnaeus, who narrates the principal events of his life in the following animated terms.
"In 1728 (says Linnaeus) I came from Lund to Upsal. I wished to devote myself to medicine. I inquired who, at that university, excelled most for his knowledge: every one named Artedi. I was impatient to see him. I found him pale, and in great distress for the loss of his father, with his thin hair neglected. He resembled the portrait of Ray the naturalist. His judgment was ripe, his thoughts profound, his manners simple, his virtues antique. The conversation turned upon stones, plants, animals. I was enchanted with his observations, equally ingenious and new; for at the very first he was not afraid to communicate them to me with the utmost frankness. I desired his friendship, he asked mine. From that moment we formed a friendship; which we cultivated with the greatest ardour for seven months at Upsal. I was his best friend, and I never had any who was more dear to me. How sweet was that intimacy! With what pleasure did we see it increase from day to day! The difference, even of our characters, was useful to us. His mind was more severe, more attentive; he observed more slowly, and with greater care. A noble emulation animated us. As I despaired of ever becoming as well instructed in chemistry as he, I abandoned it; he also ceased to study botany with the same ardour, to which I had devoted myself in a particular manner. We continued thus to study different branches of science; and when one of us excelled the other, he acknowledged him for his master. We disputed the palm in ichthyology; but soon I was forced to yield, and I abandoned that part of natural history to him, as well as the amphibian. I succeeded better than he in the knowledge of birds and insects,
infects, and he no longer tried to excel in these branches. We marched together as equals in lithology, and the history of quadrupeds. When one of us made an observation, he communicated it to the other: scarce a day passed in which one did not learn from the other some new and interesting particular. Thus emulation excited our industry, and mutual assistance aided our efforts. In spite of the distance of our lodgings, we saw each other every day. At last I set out for Lapland; he went to London. He bequeathed to me his manuscripts and his books.
"In 1735 I went to Leyden, where I found Artesi. I recounted my adventures; he communicated his to me. He was not rich, and therefore was unable to be at the expence of taking his degrees in physic. I recommended him to Seba, who engaged him to publish his work on fishes. Artesi went to join him at Amsterdam.
"Scarcely had I finished my Fundamenta Botanica. I communicated it to him; he let me see his Philosophia Ichthyologica. He proposed to finish as quickly as possible the work of Seba, and to put the last hand to it. He showed me all his manuscripts which I had not seen: I was pressed in point of time, and began to be impatient as being detained so long. Alas! if I had known this was the last time I should see him, how should I have prolonged it!
"Some days after, as he returned to sup with Seba, the night being dark, he fell into the canal. Nobody perceived it, and he perished. Thus died, by water,
this great ichthyologist, who had ever delighted in that element."
Of the works of this eminent naturalist there have been two editions, of which the former was published by Linnæus in 1738, and the latter by Dr Walbaum of Lubeck, in the years 1788, 1789, and 1792. This edition, which is by much the most valuable, is in three volumes 4to; of which the first contains the history of the science of ichthyology, commencing several years before the Christian era, and coming down to the present times. The second presents to the reader the Philosophia Ichthyologica of Artesi, improved by Walbaum, who was benefited by the writings of Monro, Camper, Kætsenter, and others. Here also are added tables containing the system of fishes by Ray, Dale, Schæffir, Linnæus, Gowan, Scopola, Klein, and Gronovius. The third volume, which completes the collection of Artesi's works, contains the technical definitions of the science. After the generic and individual characters, come the names and Latin phrases of Artesi; the synonymses of the best naturalists; the vulgar names in English, German, Swedish, Russian, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, and Samoyed; the season and the countries where every kind is found, their varieties, their description, and observations. The modern discoveries, even to our own times, are added; so that in this part is collected the observations of Gronovius, Brunich, Penant, Forster, Klein, Bloch, Gmelin, Haufelquist, Broussonet, Leske, Buish, Linnæus, and other great examiners of nature.