Born in England but emigrated with his parents to Victoria, Australia in 1850. Became a well-known Coleopterist in Australia and was one of the founder members of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria. Morphnos bestii Sl. (1902), Notonomus besti Sl. (1902) and Macrones besti Blkb. (1907) were all named after him. He published some eight or so articles of which 'Longicorn Beetles of Victoria' which appeared in five parts in the Southern Science Record between 1880 and 1882, was perhaps the most important.Best's collection is in the National Museum at Melbourne. There is an obituary in the Victorian Naturalist, Melbourne, XLV, 1928,104-107, by F.G.A. Barnard, which includes a portrait. (MD 10/01)
Dates
1843- 10 June 1928