The Academicians Hebenstreit, Jos. 
Geertner, and Laxmann have also laboured 
to make known the vegetable productions 
of Russia; and the more celebrated Jos. 
Gertner, who subsequently distinguished 
himself so highly by his classical work on 
Fruits, was, for five years, a member of 
our Academy. 
The most memorable period in the his- 
tory of Russian science commences during 
the reign of the Empress Catherine II.; 
and Europe long rang with the fame of the 
extraordinary enterprize which this great 
sovereign set on foot for the benefit of sci- 
ence. The vast field which she thus open- 
ed, was diligently explored by the Acade- 
micians, with a success which will ever 
redound to the glory of this monarch. The 
names of Gmelin, Güldenstádt, Falk, Le- 
pechin, Georgi, and Pallas, all are con- 
nected with the labours of this period ; 
it is only in so far as they illustrate itai 
branch of Natural History which it is my 
present province to discuss, that I shall 
touch upon them 
. G. Gmelin, nephew of the celebrated 
Siberian traveller, and the editor of the 
two last volumes of Flora Sibirica, pub- 
 lished in 1768, an important work upon 
the Sea-weeds. This was the first attempt 
ata history of marine productions, and is 
still of value, because it contains detailed 
accounts of some new and extremely rare 
species, collected by Steller and Krasche- 
off, in the Eastern Ocean. The 
younger Gmelin explored the sources of 
the Don and Wolga, the banks of the Cas- 
pian Sea, visited Bakou, Derbent, and En- 
zeli, and during the six years which were 
occupied in this journey, succeeded in 
the Academy's 
Many of the plants have been 
selected and describ d by later tisvoltora. 
HISTORICAL SXETCH OF THE 
To Hablitzé, who subsequently became 
Vice- Governor of Tauria, we owe a phy 
ideas respecting its vegeta . 
The valuable se Gulden 
who visited the shores of the T 
were also made by the Academicians, Falk 
and Georgi, as well as by Lepechin, though 
Linnæus, explored successfully the mouth 
of the Volga, the steppes of the Kalmuks 
and Kirghises, and the shores of the Irtysch, - 
Tomsk, and Barnaoul Georgi, who ac- 
companied Falk, also examined the Baikal - 
and a part of Dahuria. This distinguished | 
Naturalist attempted a general view of the 
vegetable productions of Russia, and ¢ 
sidering the time when it was executed. 
was not without merit, especially as Boeber, 
a zealous Botanist, contributed very wit 
able materials. 
But the labours of Pallas far excel those 
of his colleagues. Himself a man of talent | 
and of extensive information, he appea 
ussian steppes; that on the 
Aigalis which belong so ce 
ings widiw to this science, ee 
among the i ] 
