Prussian zoologist and botanist (1741-1811) remembered for his work in Russia under the auspices of Catherine II; his name is given to several things that he discovered or described, including pallasite (a class of stony-iron meteorite characterized by large olivine crystals), Pallas's cat (known for its round pupils), Pallas's fish eagle, Pallas's viper, and several others. ALS signed "P. S. Pallas," five pages on three adjoining sheets, 7.25 x 9, January 24, 1766. Lengthy and fascinating handwritten letter from the Hague, discussing fossils, a worm dissection experiment, and forthcoming scientific publications. In part: "I hope you will have received the several fossils and Books I sent you in Mr. Dupont's chest, and wish they may have prooved acceptable. I had made a select of such things as seemed to me, would deserve your attention, and this will apologize for my sending you so few fossils…I am mighty glad to see from your own, and the letters of other friends, that your present employment suits you so well; but am sorry on the other side to see you removed by so many pressing occupations from continuing your excellent History of Fossils…I have taken this opportunity of sending you the paper upon the Hydatoid Taenia. It is written in Latin, as I was not sufficiently master of the English language to lay down the whole in English. You will do me great pleasure in presenting it to the royal society, it contains all I have hitherto observed of this very curious animal. Whenever I find an opportunity of sending you over any natural curiosities, I shall send you along with them all the varieties of this Taenia in spirit of wine if you desire it, to serve for the Museum of the Royal S.
The Summer before I left Berlin, I got a good many freshwater Gordii, out of a lake in Mecklenburgh. This gave me a fair opportunity of trying whether that animal, when cut in pieces, would restore each part to a perfect animal, as is believ'd…I have cut several of them in two and more pieces, and have always seen a sort of a white marrow rising in the open wound of the cut extremities, without observing any contraction of the tube or skin; and in this state the pieces continued in life, tho' very dull and with little motion for above a month, in which time not the least alteration happened to the dissected extremities, excepted that they gradually with the with the rest of the fragments of the worm grew covered with that green mucous matter which is commonly generated in putrefying water, whilst those worms which were not hurt lived in the same kind of water (in separate phials) for several months together, and no green mucous was generated in the water where the sound and vivid worms continued…When the worms were cut, the pieces all moved more violently than before, but soon after they became very dull, chiefly that which was the hinder extremity (when the worm was cut in two) which remained rolled up and almost motionless, unless irritated, till it corrupted. The worms I had were from 9 to 17 inches long, of the thickness of a pretty strong thread, and of a brownish grey colour…
It has been one of the preconceptions in natural history, that they could be multiplied by cutting; and I think Linnaeus is the first who has attributed them this property, because the country people of Smaland said that the pieces of the worm continue to live when thrown into the water. I don't know what you will think, of my making so much words about what you may perhaps not care to know; but it is because I have no interesting news to communicate to you…
I don't know whether you be informed of Dr. Gaertner's being appointed extraordinary Professor of Anatomy & Prosector at Tubingen; a gentleman shortly arrived here from those parts has acquainted me with it, and told me at the same time that the Dr. has abandoned all his fine schemes of travelling for the advancement of natural history and that he is soon going to marry. Mr. Volckmann has wrote to me from Vienna…He extolls the magnificence of the Imperial Cabinet at Vienna, & says it is the largest and finest collection he has seen; which is giving it a great character after having seen the British Museum, the Prince's Collection at the Hague, & the Cabinet du Roi at Paris. The collection at Bayreuth he has found in very great disorder, and tells me that the Description of it which had been begun, will not be continued since the death of the Marckgrave. Roesel's Collection of Insects is now in possession of one Counsellor de Hagen at Nurnberg…I have not yet seen the Entomologia of Scopoli the Carniolian Botanist, which he informs me is going to be publish'd very soon…Dr. Gronovius is preparing his second volume of Museum Gronovianum for the Press, as is also Baster a second part of his second volume of Opuscula Subseciva." In fine condition, with a thin mounting strip to the hinge and small remnant to upper right corner.
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