Biographical dictionary
The Biographical Dictionary of British Coleopterists was compiled by the late Michael Darby. The Dictionary can be accessed below, and see also the additional information provide by Michael:
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| Name | Dates | Biography | |
|---|---|---|---|
| HOLLAND, William | 1845 - 1 July 1930 | A shoemaker who established his entomological reputation with his work on Lepidoptera in the area of Reading where he lived. In 1893 Holland moved to Oxford and joined the staff of the HDO where, under the tutelage of Professor E.B.Paulton, he turned his attention in the field to Coleoptera. J.J.Walker in his obituary in EMM, 66, 1930, p.187, noted: 'he was among the first to reveal the exceptional richness and interest of the beetle fauna of the Oxford district. The writer ... is greatly indebted to Mr Holland for his kindness in introducing him to nearly all the principal collecting grounds in the neighbourhood of the city when he came to reside there in 1904. His discovery of Gynandrophthalma affinis at Wychwood Forest, Oxon. in 1902 and its capture there in abundance by him in the following year is especially noteworthy'. This capture was written up in EMM, 38, 1902, p.268, where he published a number of notes on Coleoptera from 1893. Holland left Oxford in 1913 and returned to Reading where he was employed for some time by the Hon. N.Charles Rothschild in collecting in North Devon, Wood Walton Fen and elsewhere. Smith (1986), p.126, records that Holland gave insects of all orders from various localities both British and foreign, and a collection of British Carabid beetles dated 1907 and 1910, to the HDO. Member of the Reading Natural History Society which he joined in 1881. Apart from the obituary mentioned above there is another in Ent., 63, 1930, pp.263-264. (MD 5/03) | |
| HOLME, Frederick | Published various notes on Coleoptera between 1837 and 1845 including: 'On the Coleopterous insects observed in the Scilly Isles in July and August 1836', Trans.ESL., 2, 1837, pp.58-64; 'Notes on the explosive properties of Brachinus crepitans', ibid., p.7; Rough notes on the habits, manners, etc. of some of the British Brachelytra', ibid., 3, 1842, pp.108-128; 'On the habits of Byctiscus punctulatus', Zool, 1, 1843, p.200; 'Note on the species of Aleochara...', ibid., p.271; 'On the British species of Carabus', ibid., pp.338-339; and 'Notes on beetles inhabiting ants nests', ibid., 2, 1844, p.475. (MD 5/03) | ||
| HOLME, H.J. | A Reverend. Davis and Brewer (1986), p.82, note that a small collection of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera collected by Hume is in the Sunderland Museum, donated on 30 May 1929. (MD 5/03) | ||
| HOLME, W.F. | Smith (1986), p.78, records that there is a manuscript 'Catalogue of Coleoptera taken by myself in Gloucestershire', and letters to F.W.Hope, in the HDO. Holme is not mentioned by Atty (1983). (MD 5/03) | ||
| HOLMES, Miss M. G. | Smith (1986), p.126, records that she gave Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera and Coleoptera from Virden, Manitoba to the HDO in 1899 and a further 80 insects from Laurier, Manityoba in 1901. (MD 5/03) | ||
| HOLMES, William James | Entomologist who worked on wood boring insects in particular. Lived at East Grinstead, Sussex. FRES 1962. (MD 5/03) | ||
| HOLYOAK, Harry | Published 'Captures of Coleoptera in Buddon Wood, Leics.' in EMM, 8, 1871, pp.85-86. (MD 5/03) | ||
| HOME, Captain (Sir?) E. | Gave various insects including Coleoptera from Australia to the NHM in 1846 (1846/77). (MD 5/03) | ||
| HOOKER, Joseph | Father of Sir William Jackson (see above). He is mentioned by Morley (1899) p.2, in connection with a specimen of Calosoma sycophanta: 'Mr Kirby mentions that one was taken... by a young lady at Southwold, which is now in the cabinet of W.J.Hooker. This is Joseph Hooker of Norwich, who first took Pterostichus aterrimus Payk. in Britain'. The NHM purchased 100 beetles at an auction in 1844 which appears to have been of this Joseph Hooker's collection. (Chalmers Hunt (1976), p.87, records a sale taking place on 2 and 3 May 1844 at Stevens and including foreign as well as British insects). (MD 5/03) | ||
| HOOKER, Sir Joseph Dalton | 30 June 1817 - 10 December 1911 | Son of Sir William Jackson (see below) and also a famous botanist who made many important contributions to botanical taxonomy but who is probably best known for introducing into Britain a range of previously unknown Rhododendron species and for his improvements to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. There are several references to beetles being either collected or donated by 'Dr Hooker' or 'Prof Hooker', and I am confused as to which Hooker is referred to since it would appear that an interest in entomology was handed down from father to son through two generations. The NHM Accessions Registers record a number of gifts of beetles which appear to have been from Sir Joseph as follows: 44 from Guayaguil (1845/142 and 1846/4), 8 from Hergucleus land (1847/31), 45 from New Zealand and 11 from Magallen St. (1848/80), 5 from New Zealand (1852/3) and 254 from N. India, 'selected from a very large series'. The localities mentioned are ones which he could have visited on the two major botanical expeditions he made, firstly as assistant surgeon and naturalist on the expedition led by Captain James Clark Ross to locate the magnetic South Pole and to visit the Great Ice Barrier but which also included the Falkland Islands, Tasmania and New Zealand, and secondly his expedition to north eastern India from 1847 which resulted in his seven volume Flora of British India and a general account of his travels Himalayan Journals, 1854 (which I have not seen). There are also examples of Bruchus from Cuba, and four beetles from Caracas presented by Sir Joseph to the HDO ( Smith (1986), p.26.) Sir Joseph 's collections in the Khasi Hills, Assam in 1853 are referred to by Arrow (1917). (MD 5/03) |