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Ornithological Dictionary
The ''Ornithological Dictionary; or Alphabetical Synopsis of British Birds'' was written by the English naturalist and army officer George Montagu, and first published by J. White of Fleet Street, London in 1802. It was one of the texts, along with Thomas Bewick's contemporaneous ''A History of British Birds'' (2 volumes, 1797 and 1804) that made ornithology popular in Britain, and, with the 1676 ''Ornithologia libri tres'' of Francis Willughby and John Ray, helped to make it the object of serious study. The book includes a description of the cirl bunting, discovered by Montagu in 1800 near his home in Kingsbridge, Devon.Cocker and Mabey, 2005. pp. 462–463 The first edition was admired by biologists including Charles Darwin and David Lack. A second edition, extensively revised by James Rennie in 1831, was panned by scientific critics. Context The ''Ornithological Dictionary'' is George Montagu's best-known work, and the one that established his reputation as a pionee ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Montagu (naturalist)
George Montagu (1753 – 20 June 1815) was an English army officer and naturalist. He was known for his pioneering '' Ornithological Dictionary'' of 1802, which for the first time accurately defined the status of Britain's birds. He is remembered today for species such as the Montagu's harrier, named for him. Life and work George Montagu was born to James Montagu (1713–1790), who was great-great-grandson of Lord James Montagu (d. 1665), who was younger son of Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester. Montagu is best known for his '' Ornithological Dictionary'' (1802) and his contributions to early knowledge of British birds. He showed that many previously accepted species were invalid, either because they were birds in summer or winter plumage or males and females of the same species. His study of harriers resulted in the discovery that the Montagu's harrier was breeding in southern England. He was also involved in the first British records of cirl bunting, whose breeding range ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
