Thanks Andrew and Gijs and Helmut and Lynn and Bob and Ted and Carol and
Alice - i knew i could count on you!

One further question on early "modern" taxonomy: how long did it take
for the Linnean taxonomic system to become "firmly established"??  Did
this process take place at similar rates in different disciplines?  When
was the process more-or-less complete for all life-forms (or at least
the taxonomists who describe and classify them!)?

Getting summer at last up here - all the way up to 72 today, which is
great swimming weathe - if one could find the time!! (on the other hand,
my thermometer read 37 F two nights ago in the "wee hours"!),
Ross.