José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage (2 May 1823 – 3 November 1907) was a Portuguese
zoologist
Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...
, politician, and professor. He served as a professor of zoology and director of the
National Museum of Natural History and Science at the
Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon, where he played a role in the development of Portuguese zoological collections and research. Bocage’s scientific work led to the description of numerous species, particularly of Portuguese and African fauna, and he published extensively on taxonomy, advancing zoological knowledge in Portugal and its overseas territories.
Bocage held public offices, including
Minister of the Navy and Oversea. He was involved in colonial and geographical policy, co-founding the
Lisbon Geographic Society and representing Portugal at the
Berlin Conference
The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 was a meeting of colonial powers that concluded with the signing of the General Act of Berlin, , where he advocated for
Portuguese claims in Africa. His contributions to Portuguese science and colonial administration are commemorated in the names of several species, such as two lizards and two bird species.
Biography
José was born on May 2, 1823, in
Funchal, Portugal, into the Du Bocage family of French descent. His father, João José Barbosa du Bocage, was a
cadet
A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...
in the army but emigrated to Brazil in 1830 due to his opposition to the absolutist regime of
King Miguel I of Portugal. The family reunited in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
, where Bocage’s maternal uncle, , had established a school where both his parents taught. Following the
triumph of the liberal cause in 1834, the family returned to Funchal, where João José served as a
customs officer
A customs officer is a law enforcement official who enforces customs laws.
Canada
Canadian customs officers are members of the Canada Border Services Agency. It was created in 2003 and preceded by the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (1999-20 ...
.
In 1839, José enrolled at the
University of Coimbra
The University of Coimbra (UC; , ) is a Public university, public research university in Coimbra, Portugal. First established in Lisbon in 1290, it went through a number of relocations until moving permanently to Coimbra in 1537. The university ...
, initially studying mathematics and later pursuing medicine. He graduated in 1846 with a bachelor’s degree in medicine. During the
Little Civil War, he joined the
academic battalion, supporting the liberal cause. After the war, he established a medical practice in Lisbon and was appointed to
Hospital de São José. However, he soon shifted his focus to zoology. That same year, he married Teresa Roma, with whom he had one son, Carlos Roma du Bocage.
Zoology
Bocage began his academic career in 1849 when he was appointed as a
substitute teacher
A substitute teacher is a person who teaches a school class when the regular teacher is absent or unavailable; e.g., because of illness, personal leave, maternal leave and so on. "Substitute teacher" (usually abbreviated as sub) is the most c ...
in zoology at the
Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon. By 1851, he had become a full professor, dedicating more than 30 years to teaching zoology and organizing scientific research at the institution, which later became part of the .
In 1858, Bocage was appointed as the
scientific director and
curator
A curator (from , meaning 'to take care') is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the particular ins ...
of zoology at the
National Museum of Natural History and Science, part of the Polytechnic School. Under his leadership, the museum became a central institution for studying and classifying the fauna of Portugal and its colonies. He took on the task of organizing the museum’s zoological collections with a clear acquisition policy, prioritizing specimens that filled gaps within specific taxonomic groups rather than expanding the collection indiscriminately.
Bocage published numerous works on specimen classification, which played a vital role in structuring the museum’s collections and advancing Portuguese taxonomy. His primary focus was on the fauna of Portugal and its African colonies, particularly
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
. He worked closely with field collectors like
Joseph of Anchieta
José de Anchieta y Díaz de Clavijo, SJ (Joseph of Anchieta; 19 March 1534 – 9 June 1597) was a Canarian Jesuit missionary to the Portuguese colony of Brazil in the second half of the 16th century. A highly influential figure in Brazil's h ...
, who contributed extensive collections from Angola.
Throughout his career, Bocage published 177 scientific papers and described approximately 100 new species, focusing on the classification of mammals, birds, reptiles,
amphibians
Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...
, insects, and
sponges
Sponges or sea sponges are primarily marine invertebrates of the animal phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), a basal clade and a sister taxon of the diploblasts. They are sessile filter feeders that are bound to the seabed, and ar ...
. His scientific collaborations extended internationally, including with the
Natural History Museum in Paris, where he secured collections in exchange for Portuguese specimens taken during the
Napoleonic invasion of Iberia. In 1875, Bocage co-founded the
Lisbon Geographic Society and served as its president from 1877 to 1883. His contributions to Portuguese zoology were recognized in 1905 when the museum was renamed in his honour by government decree.
Politics
Bocage was actively involved in public life and politics. He joined the
Regenerator Party, a political party in Portugal, and was elected as a deputy for
Montemor-o-Novo
Montemor-o-Novo (), officially the City of Montemor-o-Novo (), is a city and municipality in the District of Évora (district), Évora in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 17,437, in an area of 1232.97 km2. The city itself had a population ...
municipality in 1879. He served on committees for Public Instruction, Health, Foreign Affairs, and Overseas Territories, advocating for a structured colonization policy and supporting Portuguese geographical knowledge and expansion in Africa.
In 1881, Bocage was appointed as a
Peer of the realm
A peer of the realm is a member of the highest aristocratic social order outside the ruling dynasty of the kingdom.
Notable examples are:
* a member of the peerages in the United Kingdom, who is a hereditary peer or a life peer
* a member of the ...
and subsequently served as
Minister of the Navy and Overseas in the government of
Fontes Pereira de Melo
António Maria de Fontes Pereira de Melo Order of the Tower and Sword, GCTE Order of the Golden Fleece, KGF (; Lisbon, 8 September 1819 – 22 January 1887) was a Portuguese politician, statesman and engineer. He was a leading Member of parliame ...
. His tenure saw significant developments in Portuguese colonial policy, including the establishment of a regular
steamship
A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...
line between Lisbon and
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...
. Bocage helped organize the
Berlin Conference
The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 was a meeting of colonial powers that concluded with the signing of the General Act of Berlin, , which outlined principles for territorial claims in Africa. He advocated for Portuguese control of territories connecting Angola and Mozambique, a vision partially articulated in the
Pink Map
The Pink Map (), also known as the Rose-Coloured Map, was a map prepared in 1885 to represent the Kingdom of Portugal's claim of sovereignty over a land corridor connecting the Portuguese colonies of Angola and Mozambique during the Scramble fo ...
, although ultimately opposed by British interests.
Honours
Bocage earned several honours, including the Portuguese
Military Order of Saint James of the Sword
The Military Order of Saint James of the Sword (), formerly known as the Ancient, Most Noble and Enlightened Military Order of Saint James of the Sword, of the Scientific, Literary and Artistic Merit (), is one of the four former ancient Portu ...
, the Spanish
Cross of Naval Merit, the Austrian
Order of Franz Joseph
The Imperial Austrian Order of Franz Joseph () was founded by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria on 2 December 1849, on the first anniversary of his accession to the imperial throne.
Classes
The order was originally awarded in three classes: ''G ...
, the Brazilian
Order of the Rose
The Imperial Order of the Rose () was a Brazilian order of chivalry, instituted by Pedro I of Brazil, Emperor Pedro I of Brazil on 17 October 1829 to commemorate his marriage to Amélie of Leuchtenberg.
On 22 March 1890, the order was cancelled as ...
, and the rank of officer in the French
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
. In 1903, the
Lisbon Geographic Society held a ceremony in his honour, where
King Carlos I of Portugal awarded him a medal of honour in recognition of his contributions to science and the Portuguese nation.
Taxa named in his honour
Bocage is commemorated in the scientific names of several species. Among reptiles, the lizards ''
Podarcis bocagei'' and ''
Trachylepis bocagii'' bear his name.
[ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . ("Bocage", p. 28).] Additionally, two bird species are named in his honour:
Bocage's sunbird and
Bocage's akalat.
Selected works
*''A ornitologia dos Açores'', 1866
*''Aves das possessões portuguesas d’ Africa occidental que existem no Museu de Lisboa'', da 1ª à 24ª lista, 1868 a 1882
*''Lista dos répteis das possessões portuguesas d’ Africa occidental que existem no Museu de Lisboa'', 1866
*''Notice sur un batracien nouveau du Portugal'', 1864
*''Diagnose de algumas espécies inéditas da família Squalidae que frequentam os nossos mares'', 1864
*''Peixes plagiostomos'', 1866
*''Ornithologie d’ Angola'', 1881 and 1877
*''Herpethologie d’ Angola et du Congo'', 1895
Taxa described by him
*See
:Taxa named by José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage
References
Further reading
*Almaça C (1987). "''A Zoologia e a Antropologia na Escola Politécnica e na Faculdade de Ciências (até 1983)'' ". In: ''Fac. Ciências da Univ. Lisboa. Passado/Presente e Perspectivas Futuras, 150º aniversário da Escola Politécnica, 75º aniv. Fac. Ciências''. pp. 293–312. (in Portuguese).
*Burnay E (1903). "''Comemorações Sociaes – O conselheiro Barboza du Bocage''". ''Boletim da Sociedade de Geographia de Lisboa'', 21ª. Série, (7): 245–253. (in Portuguese).
*
Osório B (1915). "''Elogio Histórico do Illustre Naturalista e Professor J.V. Barboza du Bocage''". ''Memórias do Museu Bocage'' 1–42. (in Portuguese).
External links
J.V. Barbosa du Bocage A very complete site, with biography, list of publications, letters, etc. (In Portuguese).
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bocage, Jose Vicente Barbosa Du
1823 births
1907 deaths
Portuguese zoologists
Government ministers of Portugal
Ministers of foreign affairs of Portugal
University of Coimbra alumni
People from Funchal
Portuguese people of Dutch descent
Portuguese people of French descent
19th-century Portuguese people
Naval ministers of Portugal