an eminent naturalist, was born in Sweden in the year 1705, in the province of Angermania. Although his parents were poor, yet it appears they found means to give him a liberal education, and with this view sent him to the college of Hurnessand. Intending to embrace the ecclesiastical profession, he went in 1724 to Upsal; but he turned his attention to medicine from the strong bent of his mind for the study of natural history, in which science he made rapid progress, and soon rose to considerable eminence, particularly in the department of ichthyology. Confining his botanical studies to the umbelliferous plants, he suggested a new mode of classification. But Arvedi was much better acquainted with chemistry than botany. His attention, however, was chiefly directed to ichthyology, the classification of which he greatly reformed, and new-modelled upon philosophical principles. This arrangement added greatly to his reputation as a naturalist at the time, and afterwards became popular over Europe. In 1728 his celebrated countryman Linnaeus arrived in Upsal, having been appointed to deliver lectures on botany in that place; and so high stood the character of Arvedi as a philosopher, that a lasting friendship was formed between these two great men. In 1732 both left Upsal; Arvedi for England, in pursuit of his favourite study, and Linnaeus for Lapland, to examine its natural productions; but before parting, they reciprocally bequeathed to each other their manuscripts and books upon the event of death. However, in the year 1735 they met again at Leyden, where Arvedi was introduced to Seba, and employed in preparing for the press the third volume of that eminent naturalist's Thesaurus, which chiefly related to fishes. Arvedi formed the resolution, as soon as that work was finished, to return to his native country, and publish the fruits of his own labours; but as he was returning home from Seba's house on the evening of the 27th September 1735, the night being dark, he fell into the canal and was unfortunately drowned. According to agreement, his manuscripts came into the hands of Linnaeus, and his Bibliotheca Ichthyologica and Philosophia Ichthyologica, together with a life of the author, were published at Leyden in the year 1738.