AFZELIUS, Adam, an eminent Swedish naturalist, born at Larf, West Gothland, in 1750. Having studied at Upsala under Linnaeus, he became teacher of oriental literature in that university in 1777, and demonstrator of botany in 1785. For two years (1792-94) he resided on the west coast of Africa as botanist to the Sierra Leone Company. After acting for some time as secretary to the Swedish embassy in London, he returned home, became again a teacher in the university of Upsala, and was appointed professor of materia medica in 1812. He edited the autobiography of Linnaeus (Upsala, 1823), a German translation of which appeared at Berlin in 1826. His literary work included also a large number of botanical papers contributed to the Linnaean Society of London and the Royal Academy of Stockholm, as well as treatises on certain plants of Guinea and Sweden. He died at Upsala in 1836, having bequeathed his botanical collection to the university. Several species of plants, known as Afzelia, are named after this distinguished botanist.

AFZELIUS, Arwid August, the Swedish historian, poet, and comparative mythologist, was born at Fjellåker in 1785. For a while he was a schoolmaster in Stockholm, but afterwards entered the church, and became parish priest of Enköping, where he worked for just half-a-century, till his death in 1871. His poetical career began in 1811 and closed in 1848, when he wrote his Farewell to the Swedish Harp. One great work of his life was to collect and publish, in conjunction with the eminent Geijer, three volumes of Swedish Folk-songs; but he will be best remembered by his History of the Swedish People, which has won him a European reputation. He did not live to bring this history lower down than 1709. (e. w. g.)