PETER, an eminent naturalist, was born in Sweden in the year 1705, in the province of Angermania. His parents were poor, but found means to give him a liberal education, and with this view sent him to the college of Hurnesand. 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, the classification of which he remodelled upon philosophical principles. This arrangement afterwards became popular over Europe. In 1728 his celebrated countryman Linnaeus arrived in Upsal, and a lasting friendship was formed between these two great men. In 1732 both left Upsal; Artedi for England, and Linnaeus for Lapland; but before parting, they reciprocally bequeathed to each other their manuscripts and books in the event of death. In 1735, however, they met again at Leyden, where Artedi 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. He intended, 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 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 Ledyen in the year 1738.