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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELTON, C.S. | Oxford zoologist who published The Pattern of Animal Communities (1960). His publications on Coleoptera include: ‘The habitat of Staphylinus ater Gr.’ (EMM., 87, 1951, p.175; ‘Prionychus ater (F.) in Wytham Woods, Berks.’ (ibid., 96, 1960, 176-177); and ‘Aulonium trisulcum (Fourc.) in Wytham Woods, Berks.’ (ibid., 106, 1970, pp.190-192). ‘Notes on the fauna of rotting wood in the Spey Valley region, Inverness-shire’, ibid., 106, 1970, pp.180-185, supported the important generalisation, from the conservation point of view, made in his 1966 book, that whereas there are many species of herbivorous animals feeding on green plants that are attached to one species of plant only, or perhaps to one genus, the great majority of saprophagous and predatory animal species have not got restricted food-habits, and also have a relatively wide range of habitat so far as plant species are concerned. In EMM., 119, 1983, p.185 Elton wrote of his friendship for the late Dr Maurice Hobby which had begun in the 1920s and noted that it was from Hobby that he had his first lessons in the lesser-known groups of British insects. Elton gave Staphylinidae from a red squirrel's nest to the NHM in 1937 (1937.361), and insects collected on Oxford University Expeditions to Spitsbergen, Lapland, and Hudson Strait, 1921-31, and also some from Norway, 1921, to the HDO. He also made many small donations between 1940-1966 of British insects to the latter. FRES from 1925. (MD 10/02) | ||
| ELTON, E.F. | Published ‘Odontaeus mobilicornis at Wellington College’ (EMM., 27, 1891, p.109) and ‘Coleoptera near Wellington College in July’, (ibid., 28, 1892, pp.288-289). He appears to have been on the staff of the College and a member of the Natural Science Society. (MD 10/02) | ||
| ELTRINGHAM, Harry | 18 May 1873 - 26 November 1941 | Well known Lepidopterist, entomological histologist and sportsman who worked at the HDO for some twenty years and was President of the RESL 1931-32. Amongst his gifts to the HDO were Coleoptera from Brazzaville, French Congo presented in 1910, and a portrait of Professor Poulton taken through the eye of a glowworm! Gilbert (1977) p.106 lists six obituaries and other notices. (MD 10/02) | |
| ELWES, Henry John | 1846 - 26 November 1922 | Well known Lepidopterist. Amongst the many thousands of butterflies which he gave to the NHM as a result of his world wide collecting activities are 7 beetles from Argentina and Chile (1902.188). He lived at Colesborne, Cheltenham. Gilbert (1977) p.106 lists eight obituary and other notices. (MD 10/02) | |
| EMBRY, B. | Gave 10 Coleoptera collected in Istanbul to the NHM in 1926 (1926.57) and a further 63 specimens collected in Turkey in 1938 (1938.715). (MD 10/02) | ||
| EMDEN, E.M. Van | See VAN EMDEN | ||
| EMERY, J. | The NHM exchanged more than a hundred Coleoptera with Emery in 1876 when he lived in Naples (1876.30). (MD 10/02) | ||
| ENGLEHEART, N.B. | Chalmers-Hunt (1976) p.107 records that Engleheart sold British and foreign insects through Stevens on 17 and 18 March 1870. (MD 10/02) | ||
| ENOCK, Frederick | 17 April 1845 - 26 May 1916 | Best known as a Hymenopterist and Lepidopterist, and for his work as a professional ‘Preparer of Microscopic Objects’. He did publish articles on Phaedon cochleariae, however (Zool., 16, 1892, p.274 and Ent., 25, 1892, pp. 230-233), on ‘Life history of Cicindela campestris’ (Proc.SLES., 1896, pp.87-93), and on Stylops (EMM., 12, 1875, pp.36-38). Enock gave various gifts of insects to the NHM including specimens of Stylops in 1875 and 1876 (1875.18 and 1876.21), and he also gave Stylops to the HDO at this time (Smith (1986) p.117). (MD 10/02) | |
| ESAM, W.W. | Published four articles on Coleoptera in the vicinity of Hastings in ERJV., 5, 1894, p.156; EMM., 33, 1897, pp.18-19; 34, 1898, 17-18; and 38, 1902 38-39. In the last he explained that ‘very limited leisure during the last three years has prevented my doing much collecting.’ He gave his address as Eagle School House, St. Leonards. (MD 10/02) |