Adanson, MICHEL

Adanson, MICHEL, a celebrated French botanist, born at Aix, April 7, 1727. He soon left the clerical profession, for which he was educated, and devoted himself to the study of natural history. In his early career, he entertained the ambition of superseding the Linnæan system by a clearer and more comprehensive method of arrangement. When about 21 years old, he went to Senegal in Africa, and stayed there five years, afterwards returning to France with a large collection of specimens in natural history. He published, in 1757, his Histoire Naturelle du Sénégal, and, in 1763, his Familles des Plantes, in which he endeavoured to give a new form to botany, the classification being based on the similarity of the several organs of the plants; but he could not prevail against the established Linnæan system. His next undertaking was nothing less than a complete encyclopædia; but his bold plan, towards which he had completed over 100 volumes of manuscript, received little substantial encouragement. During the Revolution he fell into great poverty; afterwards he received a pension, and until the time of his death, August 3, 1806, he was earnestly devoted to the prosecution of his plan. He published also numerous monographs on plants and animals.