SIERRA NEVADA. 148 SIEYES. the Yosemite Valley, are remarkable for their scenery. The Sierra Nevada is covered to a height of 8000 feet with dense forests of conifer- ous trees, which 3ield to deciduous on the lower western slope. The western slope, above the de- ciduous zone, is the exclusive habitat of the 'big trees' [^c(juoia gigantea). Though it is a prac- tically unbroken divide, there are several passes leading across the range at altitudes of 4000 to 7000 feet. Of these the Truckee Pass in the north and the Tehachapi Pass in the south are traversed by railroads. SIEVERS, ze'vers, Eduard (1850—). A Ger- man philologist, born at Lippoldsberg, Prussia. He was educated at Leipzig and Berlin, and be- came professor extraordinarius of Germanic and Romance philology at Jena in 1871, receiving a full professorship there five years later. In 1883 he went to Tubingen, and in 1887 to Halle, whence he was" called in 1892 to Leipzig. Among the numerous contributions of Sievers to Ger- manic philology, may be mentioned his edi- tions of Tatia'n (2d ed. 1892). the Heliand (1878), and, in collaboration with Steinmeyer, Die altlwchdeutschen Glossen (4 vols., 1879-98), besides the Oxforder Benediktinerregel (1887). His original works on Germanics include Der Heliand mid die angelsiichsische Genesis (1875), Angelsiichsische Grammatik (3d ed. 1898), and Zttin angelsachsisclien Tokalismiis (1900). He also made important contributions to metrics in his Altgermanische iletrik (1892) and his Mct- rische Studien (1901-02), dealing with Hebrew metres, while his Grundziige der Phonetik (5th ed. 1901) is one of the standard works on pho- netics. In 1891 he became an editor of Paul and Branne's Beitnige sur Gcschichte rfer deutschen Sprache und Litteratur, and contributed to Paul's Gnindriss der germanischen Philologie (Strass- burg, 1891 et seq.) the sections on runes, Gothic language and literature, and Germanic metre. SIEVERS, Jakob .Johann, or Yakoff Yefim- oviTCH. Count (1731-1808). A Russian states- man, born at Wesenberg, Esthonia. He served in the Foreign Office, was secretary to the Copen- hagen and London embassies, and was in active service in the Seven Years' War. Made Gov- ernor of Novgorod (1764) and Governor-General of Novgorod, Tver, and Pskov (1776-81), he in- troduced many important reforms. After eight years of retirement he w-as appointed (1789) Ambassador to Poland, and was chiefly instru- mental in bringing about the second and third partitions of Poland. Recalled in 1794, he lived in retirement until Czar Paul made him Senator (1796), and in 1797 he was intrusted with the direction of water communications. The canal he built (1798-1803) between the Volkhoflf and Msta Rivers bears his name. Consult Blum, Ein russischer Staatsmann. Des Grafen Jacob Johann Sievers Denkwiirdigkeiten zitr Geschichte Russlands (Leipzig, 1857-58). SIEVERS, WiLHELM (I860—). A German geographer, born at Hamburg. He was educated at Jena, Gottingen. and Leipzig, and was made privat-docent at Wilrzburg in 1887 after exten- sive travels in Venezuela and Colombia. In 1892 he undertook for the Geographical So- ciety of Hamburg further explorations in South America. The following publications bear his name: Reise in der Sierra yerada de Santa Marta (1888) ; Die Eordillere von Merida (1888) and Venexuela (1888); Allgemeine Landerkunde (5 vols., 1891-95) ; and Ziceite Reise in Venezuela (1896). SIEVE VESSELS. Tube-like elongated cells, characteristic of the phloem (q.v. ), placed end SIEVE VESSELS OF PrMPKI.N'. to end and communicating with one another by means of perforated areas (sieve plates) in the walls. See Histology; Wood. SIEYES, se'a'yfis', Emmanuel .Joseph, Count (1748-1836). A French revolutionary leader and publicist, generally known as the Abbe Siey&s. He was born at Frejus, and was edu- cated at Paris with a view to entering the Church. He was made a canon in Brittany (1775) and was later transferred to the Ca- thedral of Chartres. He soon became diocesan chancellor and vicar-general. He had liberal opinions on all social and political matters, and in 1789 he issued his famous pamphlet entitled : Qu'est-ce que le liers-etat? This work, which claimed political recognition for the people, ob- tained an immense popularity and procured his election as Deputy to the States-General from Paris. Mainly through his urgency and influ- ence, the representatives of the people took the decisive step of constituting themselves into an independent body, on .June 16, 1789. and became the National Assembly. In this body Siey&s figured as one of the most prominent leaders. In 1790 he was elected President of the National Assembly. By this time, however, bolder and fiercer spirits had passed him in the race for power and popularity, and in the Convention of 1792 he refrained from any active participation in the debates, and on the occasion of the King's trial he recorded a silent vote for death with- out appeal to the people. While Robespierre and his party were in power, he retired from Paris. On the fall of Robespierre he returned to the Convention and resumed his active interest in affairs, becoming a member of the Council of Five Hundred. He was engaged chiefly in the Department of Foreign Aflfairs, and he went in 1798 as Ambassador to Berlin to secure the neutrality of Prussia. He became a mem- ber of the Directorv in 1799, and among other
