ARTEDI, PETER, an eminent naturalist, was born in the province of Angermania, in Sweden, on the 22d February 1705. His parents were poor, but found means to give him a liberal education, and with this view sent him to the college of Hernosand. Intending to become a clergyman, he went, in 1724, to study theology at 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 the two. 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 was 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 results 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 Linnus, and his Bibliotheca Ichthyologica and Philosophia Ichthyologica, together with a life of the author, were published at Leyden in the year 1738.