PALLAS, PETER SIMON A German-Russian traveler and naturalist, born in Berlin. Ile studied natural history, and was employed in classifying many valuable collections in both Holland and England. In 17t14 he was elected a foreign member of the Royal Society. 14e gained a high reputation by the publication of his Elenchus Zoophytorem (1766), a work still much %.alued, and Miscellanea Zoologien (1766). In 176S the Empress Catharine 11. invited him to Saint Petersburg. where he was made a member of the Academy of Sciences, and he was subse quently appointed naturalist to a scientific ex pedition bound for Siberia, the immediate ob ject of which was to observe the transit of Venus. Pallas spent six years on his journey (1768-74), exploring in the Ural Mountains. the Kirghiz Steppes. a great part of the Altaian range, the country around Lake Baikal. and the steppes of the Volga, returning to Saint Petersburg in 1774 with an extraor dinary treasure of specimens in natural history. which form the nucleus of the museum of true Academy of Saint Petersburg. His travels, Reisen derch rersehiedenc Prorinz.en des res.
sisehen Reichs, were published at Saint Peters burg (1771-76), and were followed by his Samm lung historiseher Naehriehten Ubee die mon golischen (1776-1802), and his Nene nordische Beitriige pbysikn1isi7ten end gcographischen Erd end Volkerbesehreibung, Naturgcschichle und Oekonomie 11781-96). Without neglecting any branch of natural history. he now devoted himself more particularly to botany; his magnificent Elora /lossica (1784 1815) and his Species Astray,loran' (1800-02) were among the results of his studies. lie published also hones Inscctorem porcipue Ros sirr Peculiariltm (1718-98), and tributed to a glossary of all the languages of the Russian Empire. which was published at Saint Petersburg. As lie wished to live in the Crimea. the Empress Catharine presented him with an estate in the finest part of that penin sula, where lie resided after 1796. His Bemer kungen ails einer Rcise (lurch die slidliehen Statthellersehaften des russisehen Reiehs was published in 1799-1801. In 1810 he went to Berlin, where lie spent the last year of his life.