Christian Hee Hwass (1731–1803) was a Danish

malacologist Malacology is the branch of invertebrate zoology that deals with the study of the Mollusca (mollusks or molluscs), the second-largest phylum of animals in terms of described species after the arthropods. Mollusks include snails and slugs, clams, ...

who is remembered for his work in

conchology Conchology () is the study of mollusc shells. Conchology is one aspect of malacology, the study of molluscs; however, malacology is the study of molluscs as whole organisms, whereas conchology is confined to the study of their shells. It includ ...

. Although born in Denmark, Hwass did most of his important work in France. He moved to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

in 1780, and later

Auteuil Auteuil may refer to: Places * Auteuil, Oise, a commune in France * Auteuil, Paris, a neighborhood of Paris ** Auteuil, Seine, the former commune which was on the outskirts of Paris * Auteuil, Quebec, a former city that is now a district within ...

(1794). In France, he collaborated with famous scientists

Jean-Baptiste 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 biologi ...

(1744–1829) and

Heinrich Christian Friedrich Schumacher Heinrich Christian Friedrich Schumacher (15 November 1757 in Glückstadt, Holstein – 9 December 1830) was a Danish surgeon, botanist and professor of anatomy at the University of Copenhagen. Schumacher carried out significant research work in m ...

(1757–1830), a fellow Dane on a research trip in Paris during the 1780s. Hwass is remembered for amassing a large shell collection that included numerous rare specimens. Many European scientists used the collection as a reference work for their personal publications. Hwass's best-known written work was the 1792 publication of '' Encyclopedie Methodique''. Although his friend,

Jean Guillaume Bruguière Jean Guillaume Bruguière (19 July 1749 – 3 October 1798) was a French physician, zoologist and diplomat. Biography Bruguière was born in Montpellier on 19 July 1749.Comptes rendus du Congrès national des sociétés savantes: Section des s ...

(1750–1798), is often credited as author of the

encyclopedia An encyclopedia (American English) or encyclopædia (British English) is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge either general or special to a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into articles ...

, the majority of the work was done by Hwass.

References

* ''This article is based on a translation of an article from the French Wikipedia''.

External links

* Dodge H. (1946). "A letter concerning the cones of Hwass and other collections in Switzerland". '' The Nautilus'' 59(3)
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101. 1731 births 1803 deaths Conchologists Danish malacologists {{Zoologist-stub