4.24, Linnean Society. 
his ‘ Cours de l’Histoire Naturelle des Mammiferes,’ of which only 
one volume appeared in 1829, as well as over numerous notes and 
memoirs on the structure of Marsupialia and Monotremata, published 
at various times. To him, conjointly with Cuvier, France is indebted 
for the elevated position in zoology which she has occupied for the 
last half century. Following up with equal zeal and success the 
career of anatomical investigation opened for them by Daubenton, 
Vicq d’Azyr and others, and adding to the habits of minute inves- 
tigation of those excellent observers a spirit of philosophical genera- 
lization, these two great zoologists created a school in which the 
study assumed a really scientific character. From this school have 
emanated the most valuable contributions that zoology has received 
in our times, and it will long continue to exercise a salutary influ- 
ence over the labours of succeeding generations. 
Karl Bernhard von Trinius was born at Eisleben on the 7th of 
March 1778. He devoted himself at an early age to the study of 
botany, and especially of the grasses, on which he published nume- 
rous highly important works. Of these the principal separate pub- 
lications are: ‘ Fundamenta Agrostographiz, sive Theoria construc- 
tionis Floris Graminei, adjecta Synopsi Generum Graminum hucus- 
que cognitorum,’ 8vo, Viennx, 1820 ; ‘ Clavis Agrostographiz Anti- 
quioris, Coburgi, 1822; ‘De Graminibus unifloris et sesquifloris 
Dissertatio Botanica,’ 8vo, Petropoli, 1824; and ‘ Species Graminum 
Iconibus et Descriptionibus illustrate,’ in three vols. folio, Petropoli, 
1828, 1829 and 1836. His contributions on the same subject to the 
Memoirs of the Academy of St. Petersburgh were numerous and im- 
portant, including a revision of the genera and species of Panicee in 
the restricted sense of that tribe, of Stipee, of Bambusee, &c. 
In these works he propounded a theory of the structure of the 
gramineous flower, which although supported with much ingenuity, 
has met with little acceptation among botanists. But his systematic 
labours on the family have contributed in no small degree to its elu- 
cidation, and his patient and elaborate investigations will ensure him 
a distinguished position among that valuable class of observers who 
devote themselves to the study of a single family of large extent. 
M. Trinius had long been resident at St. Petersburgh, where he 
became a Corresponding Member of the Academy in 1810, and an 
Effective Member in 1823. He was also for many years Director, 
as indeed he was in a great degree the founder, of the Botanical 
Museum ; with which in 1843 he incorporated his own collection of 
grasses, estimated by M. Meyer to contain from 35,000 to 40,000 
specimens belonging to 5000 species. ‘These numbers may well be 
regarded as enormous, when we reflect that M. Kunth’s Enumera- 
tion of the family, including a great number of doubtful species, 
scarcely exceeds 3000. With such vast resources at his disposal, 
we may expect from M. Ruprecht, who has been associated with 
M. Trinius in several of his later memoirs, and who has attached 
himself particularly to the study of the Grasses, large contributions 
to our knowledge of this important family. 
M. Trinius was, as we are informed, an intimate friend of Chamisso, 
and like him mingled a genius for poetry with his botanical pursuits. 
