Alexander von Homeyer

Alexander von Homeyer ( born January 19, 1834 in the foothills in Pomerania, Pomerania Rügen district today, † July 14, 1903 in Greifswald ) was a German ornithologist.

As the son of Gutspächters Peter Wilhelm von Homeyer and his wife Louise, née Kahlden, he received his first instruction in their parents' home, after which he attended high school Stralsund.

Alexander von Homeyer, nephew of ornithologists Eugen Ferdinand von Homeyer, formed in the cadet school in Potsdam and Berlin, entered the Prussian army in 1852, fought in 1866 at Skalitz, pig skulls and Hradec Králové, was promoted to Major in 1875 and entered 1878 in retirement.

Early scientific studies, devoting, he soon turned to ornithology, one was when he garrisoned in Frankfurt, Sektionär the ornithological collection of the Senckenberg Nature Research Society, explored in 1861 the fauna, especially the birds of the Balearic Islands and the western Mediterranean countries and later also turned to lepidopterological studies.

In 1874 he was sent with Paul Pogge as chief of the second German expedition to Africa, the Cuanza went up to Dondo, then Punaa Adongo (9 ° south latitude ), fell ill here but in the bilious fever, so only Pogge in the area of Muata Jamvo arrived.

1875 Homeyer returned with a significant lepidopterological collection back to Europe, whose scientific work now first employed him.