Claude Sionnest (Syonnest ou Sionnet) (1749

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

- 31 January 1820) was a French naturalist. Born in a family which had traded as

pharmacists A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...

for two centuries Claude Sionnest had an early interest in natural sciences.

Early career

After having served four years in the infantry, he became ''commandant de bataillon'' during

The Terror The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, ...

. After 9

Thermidor Thermidor () was the eleventh month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the French word ''thermal'', derived from the Greek word "thermos" (''heat''). Thermidor was the second month of the summer quarter (''mois d'ét ...

year II (July 27, 1794), he took charge of the police force in

Entomology

In year VI (1798), he was named “physicien entomologiste’’ (medical entomologist) within the ''Société de santé'' (Health Society). In year VIII (1800), he joined the ''Agriculture Society of Lyon'' and occupied the post of treasurer for the next ten years. He was interested in

entomology Entomology () is the science, scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such ...

and published several ''memoires'' on insects harmful to

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

. Also a

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

, he particularly studied the

cryptogams A cryptogam (scientific name Cryptogamae) is a plant (in the wide sense of the word) or a plant-like organism that reproduces by spores, without flowers or seeds. The name ''Cryptogamae'' () means "hidden reproduction", referring to the fact ...

of leaving many new handwritten notes concerning the Scientific Classification classifying systems of Dillen,

Johannes Hedwig Johann Hedwig (8 December 1730 – 18 February 1799), also styled as Johannes Hedwig, was a German botanist notable for his studies of mosses. He is sometimes called the "father of bryology". He is known for his particular observations of sexual r ...

(1730–1799) and Beauvoir. He had also a vast

mineralogy Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the proces ...

collection classified according to the system of

René Just Haüy René Just Haüy () FRS MWS FRSE (28 February 1743 – 1 June 1822) was a French priest and mineralogist, commonly styled the Abbé Haüy after he was made an honorary canon of Notre Dame. Due to his innovative work on crystal structure and hi ...

and essayed a mineralogical description of the

department of the Rhone Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

. But it was malacology which held all his attention. The many manuscripts which he left show that he was principally concerned to establish ‘’systematic correspondences’’ of the various species current and fossil, terrestrial, fresh-water and marine, described and illustrated in the works of Geoffroy,

Jean Louis Marie Poiret Jean Louis Marie Poiret (11 June 1755 in Saint-Quentin7 April 1834 in Paris) was a French clergyman, botanist, and explorer. From 1785 to 1786, he was sent by Louis XVI to Algeria to study the flora. After the French Revolution, he became a p ...

(1755–1834),

Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, chevalier de Lamarck (1 August 1744 – 18 December 1829), often known simply as Lamarck (; ), was a French naturalist, biologist, academic, and soldier. He was an early proponent of the idea that biolog ...

(1744–1829),

George Cuvier Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric, Baron Cuvier (; 23 August 1769 – 13 May 1832), known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist, sometimes referred to as the "founding father of paleontology". Cuvier was a major figure in nat ...

(1769–1832),

Jacques Philippe Raymond Draparnaud Jacques Philippe Raymond Draparnaud (3 June 1772, Montpellier – 2 February 1804) was a French naturalist, malacologist and botanist. Draparnaud is considered the father of malacology in France. He was professor of medicine and pathology at th ...

(1772–1804)and others less famous. He created his own classifying system to arrange the molluscs in his collection, a problem since it was a very particular system opposed to that of his friend, Draparnaud. His collection included 62 species not appearing in ''l'Histoire naturelle des Mollusques terrestres et fluviatiles de la France'' (the Natural History of Terrestrial and Fluviatile Molluscs of France) of Draparnaud and was consulted by Gaspard Louis André Michaud (1795–1880) when he wrote the supplement to this work.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sionnest, Claude 1749 births 1820 deaths Conchologists French malacologists French entomologists