Hugh Cuming

Hugh Cuming (* 1791, † 1865) was an English naturalist (English naturalist ) and malacologist. He became known mainly because of its large and important collection of molluscs, for which he was also known as Prince of Collectors ( " Prince of Collectors ").

Cuming was born in West Alvington ( Devon ) and moved at the age of 28 years to Chile, where he began with the collection of snails of the southwest Pacific region. In 1831 he returned to England. A second major journey took him 1836-1839 to the Philippines.

Cumings collection of molluscs comprised 82 992 copies when it was acquired by the Natural History Museum in London, the Natural History Museum in 1866 for the handsome price of 6,000 pounds sterling (£). This collection yielded numerous zoologists much needed study material. Several major malacological work based mainly on pieces from Cumings collection, such as Lovell Augustus Reeves Conchologia Iconica (1843-1878) in 20 volumes and Thesaurus Conchyliorum of George Brettingham Sowerby I ( 1842-1887, five volumes ). Wilhelm Dunker also one of those malacologists who were intensely in exchange Cuming, his material studied and described from new species.

• Naturalist
• Zoologist
• Briton
• English
• Born in 1791
• Died in 1865
• Man