David Lack

David Lambert Lack ( * July 16, 1910 in London, † March 12, 1973 in Oxford, England ) was an English biologist and ornithologist.

Varnish father was a keen ornithologist, the so aroused the concern for early birds at his son. David Lack attended Gresham 's School in Norfolk and completed a science degree at Magdalene College, Cambridge, then he taught biology at the Dartington Hall School in Totnes. During this time he has also conducted the robin and was exempt for a trip to the Galapagos Islands one year. The result of this time are two of his most important books, The Life of the Robin (1943) and Darwin's Finches (1947). The latter work first coined the term " Darwin 's Finches", which today stands for a family of Tanagers.

During his military service in World War II paint could gain experience in radar tracking, which he later used to study bird migration between mainland Europe and England. At the end of the war he became director of the named after Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology at Oxford University, a position he held until the end of his life. In addition to other work and studies he developed during this time his views on reproductive rates in birds and the natural regulation of family size. Significant here are his two books, The Natural Regulation of Animal Numbers (1954) and Population Studies of Birds.

In addition to his scientific work, paint was also able to reproduce his knowledge for interested laypersons. An example of this is the 1956 published book apart from the already mentioned The Life of the Robin Swifts in a tower, with whom he became also one of the pioneers of swifts research.

In 1951 paint as a member ( "Fellow" ) was elected to the Royal Society, which honored him in 1972 with the Darwin Medal. He was 1966 President of the International Ornithological Congress, but otherwise his public appearances were rare. Nevertheless, he attested Ernst Mayr uncommon influence through its annual conferences for students or by his observations of bird migration. Two sentences from the obituary of the London Times aptly characterize it well:

" Paint [ ... ] greatly Influenced the course of ornithological studies and by his friendly and enthusiastic nature inspired many students to take up the study of birds. "

" Paint [ ... ] influenced the course of ornithological research to a large extent and inspired by his friendly and enthusiastic way many students to study ornithology. "

"Hey what Essentially to individualist, with only a few really intimate friends. "

"He was essentially an individualist, with only very few but good friends. "