Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/637

 DAHLBOM DAHLIA 633 He was a diligent collector of Russian folk lore, and was in possession of more than 4,000 pop- ular tales and fables, besides a vast number of proverbs. He published the latter in a sepa- rate work, and communicated the former to other scholars. Many of the tales are included in AfanasieflPs collection. His principal work is the "Dictionary of the Living Russian Tongue" in six large volumes, finished in 1866, which is indispensable for the study of papular Russian literature. DAHLBOM, Anders Gnstaf, a Swedish entomol- ogist, born in East Gothland, March 3, 1806, died May 3, 1859. He graduated at Lund in 1829, was teacher of natural history there, and published from 1829 to 1852 ten distinct works on insects in Latin and Swedish, of which his Hymenoptera Europcea, -prcecipue Borealia, is the most important. DAHLGREN, Karl Johan, a Swedish poet, born at Quillinge in June, 1791, died May 2, 1844. He was educated at Upsal, and first published poetry in 1813, while studying theology. In 1824 he became minister of a church in Stock- holm. He was elected in 1829 to the house of burghers, and was twice reflected. " The Tower of Babel" (2 vols., 1824-'5), "The Even- ing Star" (1832), and "A Lady in the Coun- try " (1838), were some of his romances. His principal poems were collected under the titles Ungdomslcrifter (2 vols., 1829) and Samlade Skrifter (1834). He also wrote several plays. A complete edition of his works was published in Stockholm in 6 vols., 1847-'52. DAHLGREN. ,1. John Adolf, an American naval officer, born in Philadelphia in No- vember, 1809, died in Washington, July 12, 1870. He was appointed midshipman in 1826. His first cruise (1827-'9) was in the frigate Macedonian of the Brazil squadron. He next served (1830-'32) on the sloop Ontario of the Mediterranean squadron. From 1836 to 1842 he was employed on the coast survey, and he received a commission as lieutenant in 1837. In 1844-'5 he served on the frigate Cumberland of the Mediterranean squadron. From 1847 to 1857 he was employed in the ordnance department, and made a series of experiments in the construction of heavy shell guns, which resulted in the adoption of a new pattern, called the Dahlgren gun. He also invented a rifled cannon for naval war- fare, and introduced into use bronze howitzers of 12 and 24 pounds calibre. He published " Report on the 32-pounders of 32 cwt." (1850), "System of Boat Armament in the United States Navy " (1852), " Naval Percussion Locks and Primers" (1852), and "Shells and Shell Guns " (1856). He received a commission as commander in 1855, was in command of the ordnance ship Plymouth in 1858-'9, and in 1860-'61 was engaged in ordnance duty at the Washington navy yard, to the command of which he was assigned in 1861. He was pro- moted to the rank of captain in July, 1862, and was shortly afterward appointed chief of the bureau of ordnance. Having been appointed rear admiral, Feb. 7, 1863, he was placed in command of the South Atlantic squadron. From 1866 to 1868 he was in command of the South Pacific squadron. In 1869 he resumed command of the Washington navy yard. II. Ulrle, son of the preceding, an American soldier, born in Bucks co., Pa., April 3, 1842, killed near King and Queen's Court House, Va., March 4, 1864. When the civil war broke out he gave up the study of the law, and assisted his father in the ordnance department. He afterward entered the army, and performed distinguished service. Shortly after the battle of Gettys- burg he headed a cavalry charge into Hagers- town, where he lost a leg. He was promoted to the rank of colonel, and having recovered from his wound, engaged in a cavalry raid, the object of which was the liberation of the Union soldiers confined in Libby prison and at Belle Isle, in Richmond. Upon this expedition he fell into an ambush and was killed. A memoir of him was written by his father, and revised and republished by his stepmother (Philadel- phia, 1872). DAHLIA, a genus of plants of the great natural order composite. According to 'some authori- ties three, and according to others only two species are known ; the best authorities seem to have generally adopted the latter opinion, recognizing the D. super flua, with its outer involucre reflexed, and the D. frustranea, with its outer involucre spreading, as distinct spe- cies ; while the D. variabilis is a union of both. The plant is a native of Mexico; and the flow- ers of all the species and varieties are distin- guished by the absence of a pappus, and by a double involucre, the outer being many-leaved and the inner consisting of one leaf divided into Dahlia. eight segments. Alexander von Humboldt is believed to have been the first to introduce the dahlia into Europe, he having in 1790 sent some of the plants to Madrid. The marchioness