HISTORY OF, THE SCIENCE. 467 
Frederick Alexander von Humboldt, chief coun. 
sellorof mines in Prussia, born at Berlin, hasmuch con 
tributed to the knowledge of subterraneous plants *. 
Physiology, especially the physiology of plants, 
owes to him a great many important discoveries 
and explanations. His unwearied zeal for science 
makes us hope fora great many excellent communica- 
tlons in consequence of his extensive travels: 
Christian Conrad Sprengel, once rector at Span- 
dau, now a private gentleman at Berlin, discovered, 
after’ many tedious examinations and observations, 
the true manner in which nature has provided for 
the fecundation of plants. He has written a parti- 
cular work on the subject, full of important. ob- 
servationst. 
Heinrich Adolph Schrader, Doctor of Medi- 
cine at Goettingen, has besides dry cryptogamic 
plants, of which he published collections, written se- 
-veral works, which contain many very excellent ob- 
servations {. © ~ 
William 
_ * Florae Fribergensis specimen, edidit Fried. Alex. ab Hum- 
boldt. Berolini. 1793. ato. with four neat, uncoloured plates, 
representing 19 subterraneous plants. 
+. Das entdeckte Geheimniss der Natur im Bau und in der 
Befruchtung der Blumen, von C. oF Sprengel. (The secrets of 
nature in the structure and fecundation of flowers, by C. C. 
Sprengel): Berlin: 1793. 4to. with 14 plates, which contain 
2 great number of neat figures crowded together. 
f Spicilegium Florae Germanicae Auctore H. A. Schrader, 
Hantiov. 1794. in 8vo. with 4 plates, which represent various 
cryptogamic plants, and the seeds of some spécies of Galium. 
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