Founding of the Society
Year	Authority / Notes
1805	The Founding Date Варсанофьева (1955), p.9 indicates that the Society was founded on 1805, March 22 in the Julian calendar (which is 1805, April 3 in the Gregorian calendar). The founding date of 1805 is also supported by cols.142-143 (p.52) of v.17 of the Большая Советская Энциклопедия (3-е издание, 1970 - 1978). A Merger Варсанофьева (1955), p.76 indicates that in 1930 the geological and biological sections of the Общество Любителей Естествознания, Антропологии и Этнографии (founded in 1863 in Moscow) merged with the corresponding sections of the Московское Общество Испытателей Природы (МОИП). According to v.30, p.426 of the Большая Советская Энциклопедия (2-е издание, [1950] - 1958), in 1931 the Общество Любителей Естествознания, Антропологии и Этнографии (founded in 1863 in Moscow) merged with the Московское Общество Испытателей Природы (МОИП). Note that the text suggests that the entire 1863 society (not just two sections of it) merged into the МОИП. The Period When the Imperial Designation was in Use We face a bit of a problem in determining the correct Russian name of the Society before the 1917 Revolution. The critical issue is to determine during which time period the Imperial designation was used in the Russian name; the Russian cataloguing data sometimes suggests that the Society did not always use the Imperial designation throughout the pre-Revolutionary period. Below we examine the Russian cataloguing data in some detail, and show that the Imperial designation was used in the Russian name from 1838 (if not earlier) to 1910 (if not later). A record in the Nat. Lib. Russia cat. refers to a 1901 publication entitled Въ Императорское Московское Общество Испытателей Природы, which indicates that the name Императорское Московское Общество Испытателей Природы was in use in 1901. A record in the Nat. Lib. Russia cat. refers to a 1878- publication entitled Годичный Отчет Императорского Московского Общества Испытателей Природы, which indicates that the name Императорское Московское Общество Испытателей Природы was in use as early as 1878. A record in the Nat. Lib. Russia cat. refers to a 1838 publication entitled Общий алфабитный список членов Имп. Московского Общества Испытателей Природы, which indicates that the name Императорское Московское Общество Испытателей Природы was in use as early as 1838. A record in the Nat. Lib. Russia cat. refers to a 1910 publication entitled Речи, произнесенные в соединеных заседаниях Общества и XII Съезда русских естествоиспытателей и врачей, which includes the annotation: Прил. к протоколам заседаний Имп. Моск. о-ва испытателей природы, which indicates that the name Императорское Московское Общество Испытателей Природы was in use in 1910. So, using cataloguing data from the Nat. Lib. Russia cat., we have established the use of the name Императорское Московское Общество Испытателей Природы from 1838 to 1910. In fact, the name was probably in use until the 1917 Revolution, and probably in use as early as 1809, when its Mémoires first had the French title Mémoires de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de l'Université Impériale de Moscou. The Use of Любителей rather than Испытателей in the Society Name It is interesting to note that the Library of Congress Authorities list the following variant of the Society name: Moskovskoe obshchestvo liubitelei prirody, evidently Московское Общество Любителей Природы. The source that the Library of Congress Authorities cites for this claim is the Union List of Serials in Libraries of the United States and Canada, v.3, p.2770; when we consult the latter source we find the following note: Moskovskoe obshchestvo ispytatelei prirody Through 1930 as Moskovskoe obshchestvo liubitelei priody We have found evidence for the latter variant of the Society name in neither the Nat. Lib. Russia cat., nor in the Tomsk State Univ. cat.. The basis for this claim by the Union List of Serials in Libraries of the United States and Canada is not clear. One cannot help wondering whether the Union List of Serials in Libraries of the United States and Canada has perhaps confused the society founded in 1805 with the society founded in Moscow in 1863 as the Императорское Общество Любителей Естествознания, Антропологии и Этнографии, later called the Общество Любителей Естествознания, Антропологии и Этнографии, and which in 1931 merged into the Московское Общество Испытателей Природы (МОИП). Additional Historical Information More historical information on the Society is found in Варсанофьева (1955). There are, for example, facsimile reproductions of the title-pages of the first volumes of a number of the journals of the Society; some of that information is transcribed below; diacritics are omitted when the reproduction omits them. Варсанофьева (1955), p.29 gives a facsimile reproduction of a title-page which we transcribe as follows: JOURNAL | DE LA SOCIÉTÉ | DES | NATURALISTES | DE L'UNIVERSITE IMPERIALE | DE MOSCOU. | PREMIÈRE ANNEE | No. I. et II. | Avec 3. Figures. | MOSCOU | IMPRIME CHEZ C. F. SCHILDBACH. | 1805. Варсанофьева (1955), p.30 gives a facsimile reproduction of a title-page which we transcribe as follows: MEMOIRES | DE LA SOCIÉTÉ | DES NATURALITES | DE L'UNIVERSITÉ IMPÉRIALE | DE MOSCOU | TOME PREMIER. [The caption indicates that this was published in 1806.] Варсанофьева (1955), p.31 gives a facsimile reproduction of a title-page which we transcribe as follows: ЗАПИСКИ | ОБЩЕСТВА ИСПЫТАТЕЛЕЙ | ПРИРОДЫ, | основаннага | при | ИМПЕРАТОРСКОМЪ МОСКОВСКОМЪ | УНИВЕРСИТЕТѢ | ТОМЪ ПЕРВЫЙ, | съ 17 чертежами. | МОСКВА, | Вь Университетской Типографіи. | 1806. [The caption indicates that this was the "counter title-page" (perhaps, parallel title-page) to the previously given title-page.] Варсанофьева (1955), p.32 gives a facsimile reproduction of a title-page which we transcribe as follows: NOUVEAUX MÉMOIRES | DE LA | SOCIÉTÉ IMPÉRIALE | DES NATURALISTES | DE MOSCOU. | TOME I. | MOSCOU. | DE L'IMPRIMERIE DE L'UNIVERSITÉ IMPÉRIALE | 1829. Варсанофьева (1955), p.33 gives a facsimile reproduction of a title-page which we transcribe as follows: MÉMOIRES | DE LA | SOCIÉTÉ IMPÉRIALE | DES NATURALISTES | DE MOSCOU. | TOME VII. | MOSCOU. | DE L'IMPRIMERIE DE L'UNIVERSITÉ IMPÉRIALE | 1829. [The caption incidates that this was the "counter title-page" to the the previously given title-page. The point here appears to be that under the new title, the volume numbering begins with Tome I, but this is equivalent to Tome VII of the old title.] Варсанофьева (1955), p.34 gives a facsimile reproduction of a title-page which we transcribe as follows: BULLETIN | DE LA SOCIÉTÉ IMPÉRIALE DES | NATURALISTES | DE MOSCOU. | TOME I. [The caption indicates that this volume was published in 1829.] Варсанофьева (1955), p.34 gives a facsimile reproduction of a title-page which we transcribe as follows: ВѢСТНИКЪ | ЕСТЕСТВЕННЫХЪ НАУКЪ, | ИЗДАВАЕМЫЙ | ИМПЕРАТОРСКИМЪ | МОСКОВСКИМЪ ОБЩЕСТВОМЪ ИСПЫТАТЕЛЕЙ ПРИРОДЫ. | РЕДАКТОРЪ ПРОФ. К. Ф. РУЛЬЕ. | МОСКВА. | ВЬ УНИВЕРСИТЕТСКОЙ ТИПОГРАФИІИ. | 1854. [The caption indicates that this journal was published by the Society from 1854 to 1860.] There is some other information on the Society at http://www.seminarium.narod.ru/moip/moip.html. Thanks are due to Helena Calogeridis, Librarian at the University of Waterloo Library, whose expertise in reading Russian was indispensible in preparing this history page.
Seat of the Society
City	Authority / Notes
Moscow Russia	This location is supported by the name of the Society.
Name of the Society
Dates	Name	Authority
1805 - 1806	Société des Naturalistes de l'Université Impériale de Moscou = Общество Испытателей Природы основаннаго при Императорскомъ Московскомъ Университетѣ [Общество Испытателей Природы основаннаго при Императорском Московском Университете in the new orthography]	Its publications establish this French name for 1805-1806; Варсанофьева (1955), p.31 gives a facsimile reproduction of a title-page that establishes this Russian name for 1806.
1809 - 1823	Société Impériale des Naturalistes de l'Université Impériale de Moscou	Its publications in the Bibliot. Nat. France cat..
1809 - 1916	Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou	Its publications in the GBV German Union cat. establish this name for 1809-1823; those in the Lib. Congress cat. establish the name for 1829-1916.
1838 - 1910	Императорское Московское Общество Испытателей Природы	Its publications in the Nat. Lib. Russia cat. establish this name for 1838-1910.
1917 - 1947	Société des Naturalistes de Moscou	Its publications in the Lib. Congress cat. establish this name for 1917-1947.
1922 -	Московское Общество Испытателей Природы	Its publications.
Московское Общество Испытателей Природы (МОИП) [Moskovskoe Obŝestvo Ispytatelej Prirody (MOIP)] = Moscow Society of Naturalists

Journals of the Society
Years	Full Journal Title	Abbrev.
1805 (Mo.I. et II.)   A	Journal de la Société des Naturalistes de l'Université Impériale de Moscou We have not found a library catalogue that lists a copy of this journal. [ Варсанофьева (1955), p.29 gives a facsimile reproduction of the title-page of this publication]
1806 (t.1)   B	Mémoires de la Société des Naturalistes de l'Université Impériale de Moscou Records in both the Bibliot. Nat. France cat. and the GBV German Union cat. indicate that this was the title for t.1. These records also indicate that t.1 also had a parallel Russian title. The Bibliot. Nat. France cat. gives the transliterated form of that parallel Russian title as Zapiski Moskovskago obščestva ispytatelej prirody (evidently Записки Московского Общества Испытателей Природы). The GBV German Union cat. gives the transliterated form of that parallel Russian title as Zapiski Obscestva Ispytatelej Prirody osnovannago pri Imperatorskom Moskovskom Universitete (evidently Записки Общества Испытателей Природы основаннаго при Императорском Московском Университете). There is a record in the Nat. Lib. Russia cat. that gives this title for 1806 (T.1) as Записки Общества Испытателей Природы основаннаго при Московском Университете; that is, without the Imperial designation (perhaps revisionist cataloguing). According to the Bibliot. Nat. France cat. there was also an edition in which t.1 = 1811. Continued by C. Indexed Reuss & RSLC [Bibliot. Nat. France cat.; GBV German Union cat.; Nat. Lib. Russia cat.]	Mem. de la Soc. des Naturalistes de Moscau [Reuss, v.10, p.12 cites T.1.] Moscou, Soc. Nat. Mém. [RSLC, v.1, p.liii.]
1809 - 1823 (t.2 - t.6)   C	Mémoires de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de l'Université Impériale de Moscou The record in the Bibliot. Nat. France cat. indicates that this was the title for t.2 - t.6 (1809 - 1823). A record in the GBV German Union cat. indicates that the title for t.2 - t.6 (1809 - 1823) was instead Mémoires de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou. Continues B. Continued by D. Indexed RSLC [Bibliot. Nat. France cat.; GBV German Union cat.]	Mem. la Soc. Imp. Nat. Moscow [Journal of Ecology, Vol. 39, No. 1 (Mar., 1951), p.105 cites 2 (1809).] Moscou, Soc. Nat. Mém. [RSLC, v.1, p.liii.]
1829 - 1940[?] (1=7. - 20=25.)   D	Nouveaux Mémoires de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou The record in the GBV German Union cat. indicates that this title had a parallel Russian title, which the record gives in transliterated form as Novye memuary Moskovskogo Obscestva Ispytatelej Prirody. A record in the Nat. Lib. Russia cat. indicates that the title for this journal until 1925 was the French title above; but from 1925 onward (T.18, вып.2 -) was Новые Мемуары Московского Общества Испытателей Природы. Continues C. Indexed RSLC [Nat. Lib. Russia cat.; Bibliot. Nat. France cat.; GBV German Union cat.]	Moscou, Nouv. Mém. [RSLC, v.13, p.lxii.] Moscou, Nouveaux Mém. [RSLC, v.9, p.xxiii.] Moscou, Soc. Nat. Nouv. Mém. [RSLC, v.1, p.liii.] Nouv. Mém. Soc. Imp. Nat. de Moscou [Phil. Trans., B Vol. 184 (1893), p.497 cites vol. 15, 1884.] Nouv. Mém. Soc. Imp. Nat. Mosc. [Phil. Trans., B Vol. 185 (1894), p.693 cites t. 15.] Nouv. Mém. Soc. Imp. Nat. Moscou [Phil. Trans., B Vol. 223 (1934), p.463 cites vol. 16 (1899).] Nouv. Mém. Soc. Imp. Natur. Moscou [Phil. Trans., B Vol. 215 (1927), p.171 cites vol. 13 (1876).] Nouveaux Mems. Soc. Imp. Nat. Moscou [Science, New Series, Vol. 129, No. 3364 (Jun. 19, 1959), p.1672 cites 13 (1860).]
1829 - 1886 1ère année, no 1-t. 62, no 4; 1887 - 1916 nouv. sér., t. 1 [no 1]-nouv. sér., t. 30   E	Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou [This may also have been called: Бюллетень Московского Общества Испытателей Природы , but we are not sure...] The title and holdings above are those given in a catalogue record in the Lib. Congress cat., which also indicates that this title was continued in two sections with new series vol. 31, 1917/1922: G and H. Indexed RSLC [Lib. Congress cat.]	Bull. des Soc. d. Natur., Moscow [Phil. Trans., B Vol. 209 (1920), p.70 cites vol. 21, 1848.] Bull. Soc. Imp. des Natur. de Moscow [Proc. Roy. Soc., B Vol. 89, No. 615 (Jul. 1, 1916), p.276 cites vol. 21, 1907.] Bull. Soc. Imp., Moscow [Phil. Trans., B Vol. 198 (1906), p.398 cites vol. 13, 1900.] Bull. Soc. Imp. Nat. Moscou [Proc. Roy. Soc., B Vol. 239, No. 1295 (Mar. 22, 1990), p.210 cites 2, 1888.] Bull. Soc. imp. nat., Moscow [Phil. Trans., B Vol. 198 (1906), p.409 cites 1873.] Bull. Soc. Nat. Moscou [Phil. Trans., B Vol. 235, No. 627 (Jun., 1951), p.364 cites 8, 1835.] Bull. Soc. Nat., Moscow [Phil. Trans., Vol. 173 (1882), p.142 cites 1871.] Bullet. d. Naturf. Gesellsch. in Moskau [Pogg., v.1, col.281 cites an article by Nicolaus Braschmann in 1855; the corresponding entry in RSLC, v.1, p.579 gives the journal-title abbreviation as Moscou, Soc. Nat. Bull.] Bullet. de la Soc. Imp. d. Nat. de Moscou [Phil. Trans., B Vol. 183 (1892), p.187 cites 1881.] Byull. mosk. Obshch. Ispyt. Prir. [Phil. Trans., B Vol. 282, No. 990 (Mar. 2, 1978), p.313 cites 15, 1901.] Moscou, Soc. Nat. Bull. [RSLC, v.1, p.liii; v.9, p.xxiii; & v.13, lxii.]
1854 - 1860 (T.1 - 7)   F	Вестник Естественных Наук, издаваемый Московским Обществом Испытателей Природы A record in the Nat. Lib. Russia cat. gives the title as above, that is, in the modern orthography, and omitting the Imperial designation; it also gives the holdings as 1854 - 1860 (T.1 - 7). For the title as it actually appeared on the title-page of T.1 (1854) (with the pre-revolutionary orthography and with the Imperial designation) we use the facsimile reproduction on p.34 of Варсанофьева (1955). The latter gives the title as: Вѣстникъ Естественныхъ Наукъ, издаваемый Императорскимъ Московскимъ Обществомъ Испытателей Природы. [Nat. Lib. Russia cat.]
1922 - ([T. 1] - )   G	Бюллетень Московского Общества Испытателей Природы: Отдел геологический A record in the Lib. Congress cat. indicates that the Russian title was the primary title and gives it transliterated as: Biulleten' Moskovskogo obshchestva ispytatelei prirody. Otdel Geologicheskii. That record in the Lib. Congress cat. also indicates that it had the parallel French title: Bulletin de la Société des Naturalistes de Moscou. Section Géologique. T. 1- called also new ser., t. 31- in continuation of the numbering of E. A record in the Tomsk State Univ. cat. gives the title in Cyrillic as Бюллетень Московского Общества Испытателей Природы: Отдел геологический Continues in part E. [Lib. Congress cat.]	Bull. Soc. Nat. Moscou (Sect. Géol.) [Phil. Trans., B Vol. 235, No. 627 (Jun. 26, 1951), p.456 cites N.S., 42, 1934.]
1917/1922 - 1947 (new series T.31 - t.52, vyp.4)   H	Bulletin de la Société des Naturalistes de Moscou. Section Biologique A record in the Lib. Congress cat. indicates that the French title was the primary title for this run, but that the French title had the Russian parallel title: Biulleten' Moskovskogo Obshchestva Ispytatelei Prirody. Otdel Biologicheskii. A record in the Tomsk State Univ. cat. gives the Russian title in Cyrillic as Бюллетень Московского Общества Испытателей Природы: Отдел биологический. Continues in part E. Continued by I. [Lib. Congress cat.]	Biul. Moskov. Obshch. Ispytat. Prirody, Otdel. Biol. [Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., Vol. 64, No. 2 (Oct. 15, 1969), p.478 cites 48 (1939).] Bull. Soc. Imp. Nat. Moscou [Phil. Trans., B Vol. 223 (1934), p.613 cites a biological article vol. 31 (1922).] Bull. Soc. Nat. Moscow, biol. [Ecological Monographs, Vol. 17, No. 3 (Jul., 1947), p.335 cites n.s., 44, 1935.] Byull. Mosk. Obshch. Ispyt. Prir. [Science, New Series, Vol. 238, No. 4829 (Nov. 13, 1987), p.960 cites a biological article in 4 (no. 19), 1 (1941).]
1947 - (T. 52, vyp. 5- )   I	Бюллетень Московского Общества Испытателей Природы: Отдел биологический A record in the Lib. Congress cat. gives the title translitered as Biulleten' Moskovskogo Obshchestva Ispytatelei Prirody. Otdel Biologicheskii and the holdings as 1947 - (T. 52, vyp. 5- ). A record in the Tomsk State Univ. cat. gives the title in Cyrillic as Бюллетень Московского Общества Испытателей Природы: Отдел биологический. Continues H. [Lib. Congress cat.]	Bull. Mosk. Obsc. Ispyt. Prir. [Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., Vol. 94, No. 14 (Jul. 8, 1997), p.7365 cites a biological article in 74 (1969).] Bulletin MOIP (Biology Division) [Ecology, Vol. 82, No. 10 (Oct., 2001), p.2958 cites 99, 1994.] Byul. mosk. Obshch. Ispyt. Prir. [J. Ecology, Vol. 56, No. 3 (Nov., 1968), p.645 cites a biological article in 44 [evidently 64] (1959); the citation has a horizontal bar over the "y" in "Ispyt".] Byul. Mosk. Obshchest. Ispytatelei Prirody Otd. Biol. [Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., Vol. 57, No. 5 (May 15, 1967), p.1225 cites 68 (1963).] Byull. Moip. Otdel. Biol. [Ecological Monographs, Vol. 47, No. 1 (Winter, 1977), p.110 cites 63, 1958.] Byull. Mosk. O-va. Ispytatelei Prirody Otd Biol. [Proc. Roy. Soc., B Vol. 267, No. 1446 (May 7, 2000), p.909 cites 89, 1984.] Byull. mosk. Obshch. Ispyt. Prir. [J. Ecology, Vol. 60, No. 3 (Nov., 1972), p.846 cites a botanical article in 65 (1960); the citation has a horizontal bar over the "y" in "Ispyt".] Byull. mosk. Obshch. Ispyt. Prir. Otd. biol. [J. Ecology, Vol. 56, No. 1 (Mar., 1968), p.58 cites 68 (1963); the citation has a horizontal bar over the "y" in "Ispyt".] Byull. mosk. Obshch. Ispyt. Prir. Otdel biologicheskii [J. Ecology, Vol. 61, No. 3 (Nov., 1973), p.715 cites 63 (1958); the citation has a horizontal bar over the "y" in "Ispyt".] Byull. Mosk. Obshchest. Ispyt. Prir. Otd. Biol. [Ann. Rev. Ecology Syst., Vol. 6 (1975), p.358 cites 70, 1965.] Byull. Moskovskovo O-va Ispyt. Prir. Otd. Biol. [Ecological Monographs, Vol. 47, No. 1 (Winter, 1977), p.110 cites 66, 1959.] Moskovskoe Obshchestvo Ispytateleĭ Prirody, Otdel Biologicheskiĭ, Biulletin [J. Near East. Studies, Vol. 29, No. 4 (Oct., 1970), p.284 cites 64 (1959).]
1951 - Т.1-   J	Труды Московского Общества Испытателей Природы [Russian Nat. Lib. Serials]	Trudy mosk. Obshch. ispyt. Prir. [J. Ecology, Vol. 54, No. 1 (Mar., 1966), p.10 cites 3 (1960); the citation has a horizontal bar over the "y" in "Trudy".]