178 
ject of Vegetable Physiology. The study 
of the Cryptogamic plarts, which had been 
almost wholly neglected by the older Bo- 
tanists, now opens, as it were, a new world, 
by displaying the greatest beauty of struc- 
ture in the most minute and apparently in- 
significant objects. M. de Humboldt was 
the first to treat on the Geography of Bo- 
tany, which he has done with the eminent 
talent which distinguishes all his works; 
he has taken a comprehensive view of ve- 
getation, and by his novel and highly phi- 
losophic theory, has made a most interest- 
ing and important addition to science. 
But it is not my intention to attempt an 
account of the progress which Botany has 
. made since the days of Linneus, as this 
- . subject would infinitely exceed the bounds 
to which I am limited ; my object is rather 
to take a summary view of the labours of 
our own Russian Botanists, and of the aid 
which they have lent towards the advance- 
ment of this science; and though I can 
only give a hasty sketch, I trust that it will 
not be found destitute of interest. 
The first beginnings of botanical know- 
ledge in Russia seem to bear date in the 
reign of Peter the Great; it was this great 
monarch who introduced the Arts and Sci- 
ences into his empire, and was the patron 
of Natural History. Justly considering 
Botany an essential part of the medical 
science, he founded, in 1706, the Apothe- 
caries' Garden, at Moscow, and, eight years 
later, that which now exists in St. Peters- 
urg. He seems to have been himself 
fond of Botany, and to have frequently 
employed his hours of relaxation in col- 
lecting plants, which he preserved with the 
_ utmost care; a small, but highly valuable 
` collection of specimens, gathered and pre- 
pared by the hands of this great monarch, 
- still exists in the Museum of the Natural- 
ists’ Society, at Moscow. The visit which 
Peter the Great paid to the Academy of 
Science at Paris, and the rich collections 
Natural History and different curiosities 
ich he had scen there, as well as the 
-— ets in Holland, had made a 
: impression on his mind, and inspired 
him with the desire of fpe the natu- 
* 
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE 
ral riches of his own vast empire, and 
ating a similar Academy in its capital, 
Schober was the first whom he despatched, - 
in 1717, upon a scientific expedition ; "e 
errand was to visit the shores of the 
for the purpose of examining its no 
sources, and it is to this journey that we 
owe our earliest acquaintance with the ve- 
getation of this river and of the Wolga. 
prs ss 
greater part of Siberia, where he amassed, 
unaided, very rich collections of plants and 
other natural curiosities. The value of 
them, but the publication of these was 
prevented by unfortunate circumstances. 
Still the discoveries of Messerschmidt have 
not been entirely lost to science, as Ammann 
and Gmelin have published all the most. 
interesting among them 
e first Russian publication on Botan; 
appeared in the year 1726; that of Bux- 
baum, accompanied by three hundred plates 
in outline, representing a large proportion 
of new plants. This author, having at- 
companied Count Alexander Roumanzoff 
to Constantinople, paid much attention to 
s 
longs to Russia, and it is to Buxbaum, ? 
ter Tournefort, that we owe our first 8 
quaintance with the vegetable treasures 
these countries. The lower classes 
plants, hitherto so universally negiec 
and principally? the Mosses and F' 
