Henry Augustus Purdie (December 16, 1840 – March 29, 1911) was an American

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

and naturalist. He was a founding member of the

American Ornithologists' Union The American Ornithological Society (AOS) is an ornithological organization based in the United States. The society was formed in October 2016 by the merger of the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) and the Cooper Ornithological Society. Its m ...

, and a president of the

Nuttall Ornithological Club The Nuttall Ornithological Club is the oldest ornithology organization in the United States. History The club initially was a small informal group of William Brewster's childhood friends, all of whom shared his interest in ornithology. These fr ...

Biography

Purdie was born near

Smyrna, Turkey Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to promi ...

. He was the son of John Purdie, a British

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...

, and Eleanor Pratt, his

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

-born wife. Although born in the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, he moved to

West Newton, Massachusetts West Newton is one of the thirteen villages within the city of Newton in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Among the oldest of the thirteen Newton villages, the West Newton Village Center is a National Register Historic District. ...

as a child. By 1858, Purdie was devoting himself to ornithology, collecting nests and eggs. However, in 1862 he joined the navy to fight in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. He was discharged the next year for frequent seasickness. After the war, Purdie made connections with leading ornithologists and became a founding member of the Nuttall Ornithological Club, serving as its vice president in 1873 to 1875, and then the president from 1875 to 1876. In 1883, he was an original member of the American Ornithologists' Union. Additionally, he was a member of the

Boston Society of Natural History The Boston Society of Natural History (1830–1948) in Boston, Massachusetts, was an organization dedicated to the study and promotion of natural history. It published a scholarly journal and established a museum. In its first few decades, the s ...

. Unlike most of the leading ornithologists, Purdie did not publish any books. However, he did a lot of field work and published his findings in leading naturalist journals such as ''

The American Naturalist ''The American Naturalist'' is the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society of Naturalists, whose purpose is "to advance and to diffuse knowledge of organic evolution and other broad biological principles so as to enhance th ...

'', ''Nuttall Bulletin'' and ''

The Auk ''Ornithology'', formerly ''The Auk'' and ''The Auk: Ornithological Advances'', is a peer-reviewed scientific journal and the official publication of the American Ornithological Society (AOS). It was established in 1884 and is published quarterly. ...

''. He also provided notes for books written by such figures as

Edward Augustus Samuels Edward Augustus Samuels (July 4, 1836 in Boston – May 27, 1908 in Fitchburg, Massachusetts) was a Massachusetts naturalist. Biography He received a common school education, and began early to write for the press. From 1860 until 1880, he was a ...

and

Elliott Coues Elliott Ladd Coues (; September 9, 1842 – December 25, 1899) was an American army surgeon, historian, ornithologist, and author. He led surveys of the Arizona Territory, and later as secretary of the United States Geological and Geographic ...

. William Brewster wrote a detailed biography on Purdie in 1912 in The Auk.Brewster, William. (1912). In Memoriam: Henry Augustus Purdie. The Auk: Vol. XXIX, No. 1

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Purdie, Henry Augustus 1840 births 1911 deaths American ornithologists American naturalists People from Newton, Massachusetts