Melvin Alvah Traylor, Jr.
Melvin Alvah Traylor junior ( * December 16, 1915, † February 11 2008 in Evanston, Illinois) was an American ornithologist.
Biography
Melvin Alvah Traylor Jr. was the son of Melvin Alvah Traylor Chicago banker and his wife Dorothy Y. Traylor. During the Second World War, he was stationed as a lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps on Guadalcanal, where he received the Silver Star in 1942 for his services. After the war, Traylor continued his ornithological work for the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, which he had begun in 1937. He undertook expeditions to Africa ( in collaboration with Austin Loomer Rand), South America and Asia. In 1960 he came up with the members of the World Book Encyclopedia Scientific Expedition to Nepal. However, Traylor worked independently of the chaired by Sir Edmund Hillary expedition, which was aimed to investigate the Yeti phenomenon. In 1956 he became deputy curator of birds at the Field Museum. He held until his retirement in the 1980s the post. He then worked as curator emeritus of the Field Museum.
Melvin Alvah Traylor junior belonged next to Raymond Andrew Paynter, Jr. (1925-2003), Ernst Mayr and George William Cottrell Jr. (1903 - 1995) to the authors of the book series, Checklist of Birds of the World, a standard reference work that between 1934 and was published in 16 volumes in 1987. Traylor first described species such as the Tana Cistensänger ( Cisticola restrictus ), the Columbia Screech Owl ( Megascops columbianus ) or the genus of small tyrants ( Zimmerius ). In addition, he wrote authoritative revision of the systematics of the tyrant. 1997 Orange Eye Breitschnabel tyrant ( Tolmomyias traylori ) was named after him. 2001 Traylor and Raymond A. Paynter were honored for her life's work with the Elliott Coues Medal from the American Ornithologists ' Union.