Biographical dictionary

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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
HALL, Derrick Gordon 1923 - 1978

Made an extensive collection of Coleoptera from the home counties which was divided in 1981 between North Hertfordshire Museum at Baldock (later moved to the natural history unit at Hitchin) the Horniman Museum and the NHM. All manuscript and related material is housed at Hitchin. Hall was in contact with many of the Coleopterists of his day and the collection which includes many specimens from Bookham collected by him in the 1960s-70s,includes material from A.J.Barnes (see p. 142; the bulk of his collection of c.4,000 specimens at least), E.C.Bedwell, Edmunds, E.G.Elliman, Hadfield, James Hignett, Edward Shepherd, C.E.Stott, G.M.Ashe, Tomlin, G.B.Walsh (many specimens), J.J.Walker, E.A.Newbery, F.D.Buck, K.M.Guichard, M.A.Park, Batten, H.D.Swain, Chaney, C.H.W.Pugh, May, R.D.Weal, and F.J.Coulson. (I am grateful to Trevor James for this information). There is an obituary of Hall in London Naturalist, 58, 1978, which I have not seen. (MD 3/03. 1/22)
HALL, L.B. He wrote one article, 'Coleoptera from Hastings' in Trans. City of Lond.Ent.nat.hist.Soc., 1896, p.5, which is referred to by Joseph Cribb in EMM, 90, 1954, p.80. (MD 3/03)
HALL, M. K.C.Lewis tells me that he has specimens collected by Hall in his collection. (MD 12/06)
HALLETT, Howard Mountjoy 1878 - 15 May 1958 Born in St. Mary Church, S. Devon but lived most of his life in Wales at Penarth, near Cardiff. His main interest was the Aculeate Hymenoptera but he also collected Coleoptera and Hemiptera. Colin Matheson, who wrote his obituary in EMM, 94. 1958, p.209, noted: 'The total of his donations of entomological material [to the National Museum of Wales] over a period of 47 years numbered more than 11,000 specimens of which Hymenoptera, Coleoptera and Hemiptera formed the great bulk'. Hallett was responsible for editing the extensive entomological section in the County History of Glamorgan, 1, 1936, much of which he had written himself. Another important publication which dealt with Coleoptera was his supplementary list of the Coleoptera of Herefordshire (to that of J.R.le B. Tomlin) which appeared in the Transactions of the Woolhope Club after his move from Penarth to to Lea Bailey on the Herefordshire/Gloucestershire border in 1935. Other papers on Coleoptera were published in the Transactions of the Cardiff Naturalists Society. Hallett was at one time President of the Cardiff Naturalist's Society and also acted for many years as the Society's Librarian and Editor. He also sat on the Council of the National Museum of Wales. (MD 3/03)
HALSE, E. Published two articles on 'The Glow Worm's Light' and 'Ladybird' in Science Gossip, 10, 1874, pp.85-88 and 94. (MD 3/03)
HALSE, G. Published an article on the stag beetle in Science Gossip, 10, 1874, p.185. Presumably a relative of the above. (MD 3/03)
HALSTEAD, David Gordon Howarth b. 24 February 1937 Born in Dover and educated at Queen Mary College, London University. Wrote his Ph.D. on 'A systematic and biological study of the genus Palorus Mulsant (sens. lat.)'. He worked in the Government laboratory at Slough from 1953 mainly on the biology and systematics of beetles associated with stored products. Halstead's particular specialisations within the Coleoptera are the Tenebrionidae (Palorus and Tribolium); Silvanidae (Silvaninae); Dermestidae (Attagenus) and the British Histeridae. These have been the subject of many of his publications, the most important of which are as follows: Coleoptera: Histeroidea, Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects, 1963; 'A revision of the genus Palorus (sens. lat.)', Bull. Mus. Nat. Hist., (Ent). 19 (2), 1967, pp.59-148; 'Biological studies on species of Palorus and Coelopalorus with comparative notes on Tribolium and Lathetics', J.stored Prod.Res., 2, 1967, pp.273-313; 'A new species of Tribolium from North America previously confused with Tribolium madens (Charp.), ibid., 4, 1969, pp.295-304; 'A revision of the genus Silvanus Latreille (sens. lat.)', Bull.Br.Mus.Nat.Hist., 29(2), 1973, pp.39-112; 'Attagenus woodroffei sp.n. previously confused with Attagenus fasciatus (Thunberg)', Notulae Entomologicae, 59, 1979, pp.97-104 (with M. Green); 'A revision of the genus Oryzaephilus Ganglbauer, including descriptions of related genera', Zool.J.Linn.Soc., 69(4), 1980, pp.271-374; 'Taxonomic notes on some Attagenus spp. associated with stored products, including a new black species from Africa', J.stored Prod. Res., 17(3), 1981, pp.91-99; and 'Keys for the identification of beetles associated with stored products 1. Introduction and keys to families', J.stored Prod.Res., 23(4), 1986, pp.163-203. Halstead maintained a small general collection of British beetles including some specimens collected by G.E.Woodroffe, a former colleague. Some types of the foreign material he has described are in the collection of the Slough Laboratory.FRES. FLS. Member BENHS since 1955. (Information from D.G.H.H. in 1988). (MD 3/03)
HALYOAK, Henry Published 'Capture of Trachodes hispidus' in EMM, 2, 1866, p.87. (MD 3/03)
HAMILTON, Captain Gave various insects including 55 beetles from Madras to the NHM in 1850 (1850/103). (MD 3/03)
HAMILTON, Captain Gave various insects including 55 beetles from Madras to the NHM in 1850 (1850/103). Is this perhaps the Mr J. Hamilton whose drawings made in India and Burma were presented to the RESL by Janson in 1853 (Pedersen (2002) p. 47)? (MD 3/03, 11/09)