George Ernest Shelley

George Ernest Shelley ( born May 15, 1840 † November 29, 1910 in London) was a British geologist and ornithologist. He was the nephew of the English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.

After his schooling in England and the Lycée de Versailles in 1863, he joined the Grenadier Guards, where he some years later obtained the rank of captain. On behalf of the South African government, he undertook a geological expedition. Later he explored Egypt. In 1889 he married Janet Andrews. From this marriage a daughter and two sons were born.

At Shelley's ornithological standard works include: Catalogue of the Picariæ in the Collection of the British Museum. Scansores and Coccyges Containing the families Indicatoridae, Capitonidae, Cuculidae, and Musophagidae (1874 ), A Monograph of the Cinnyridæ, or Family of Sun Birds ( 1876-1877 ), A Handbook to the Birds of Egypt (1878 ) and A Monograph of the Nectariniidae (1880 ). His major work, The Birds of Africa published in five volumes published between 1896 and 1912. The last part of the work is by William Lutley Sclater ( 1863-1944 ) completed and published posthumously.

1906 began Plegieanfall his work to an end. His collection, which consists of 7235 preserved specimens is preserved in the British Museum.

Shelley described 37 African Vogeltaxa first time scientifically, including the Pallid Swift (Apus pallidus ), the Lilian's Lovebird ( Agapornis lilianae ), the Grantastrild ( Pyrenestes minor), the red-headed Samenknacker ( Spermophaga ruficapilla ) and the brown bands Plover ( Charadrius forbesi ). Several species of birds are named after Shelley, as the Bindenuhu (Bubo shelleyi ), the Rotmantelastrild ( Cryptospiza shelleyi ), the Shelleyfrankolin ( Francolinus shelleyi ) and the scarlet chest Sunbird ( Cinnyris shelleyi ).