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.