Spencer Fullerton Baird

Spencer Fullerton Baird ( born February 3, 1823 in Reading, Pennsylvania, † August 19, 1887 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts) was an American ornithologist and ichthyologist.

Biography

Early years

Spencer Fullerton Baird was born in Reading, Pennsylvania. He began his studies in 1836 at Dickinson College in Carlisle, and in 1840 made ​​its conclusion. Already in 1838 he met the ornithologist John James Audubon, who gave him some of his collection of birds and so the main research area Baird coined. In 1841, he traveled on foot at a ornithological excursion the mountains of Pennsylvania, where he laid 650 kilometers back after witnesses in 21 days and 95 km on the last day.

After Baird was still studying medicine a few years he was in 1845 professor of natural history at Dickinson College, where he from 1848 (?) The duties of the Chair of Chemistry took over and gave courses in physiology and mathematics. He was also curator of the scientific collection of the College. Through this large spectrum of interests Baird became one of the most well-known general naturalist and polymath America of his time.

Smithsonian Institution

Between 1850 and 1878, Baird Advisor ( Assistant Secretary ) was the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, where he was primarily the promotion of young scientists in the Megatherium Club. With the death of Joseph Henry in 1878, he became director of the museum, besides, he was from 1871 until his death, U.S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries. The Smithsonian was expanded under his leadership to the American National Museum of Natural History.

During his tenure at the Smithsonian was one of his tasks especially the supervision of staff with a very large range of work areas. Consequently, his work has focused on a wide variety of topics, which included among others, the iconography, geology and mineralogy, botany, anthropology, General Zoology and ornithology. For some years he edited an annual publication magazine, which was the progress in all areas of research. He also advised 1850-1860 various government-appointed expeditions to the scientific study of the western territories of the United States and worked for this one instruction for scientific collection. In 1860 he was elected a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. In 1864 he became a member of the American Academy of Sciences.

Baird died in large marine biological laboratory at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, which was mainly established on the basis of its use and should link the scientific Ichthyology with commercial interests. In addition to some other species such as the Bairdstrandläufer (Calidris bairdii ) and the Central American tapir ( Tapirus bairdii ) were named after him. Also the Baird Glacier and the Baird Mountains in Alaska bear his name.

Works

Spencer Fullerton Baird was one of the most important American zoologists in the late 19th century. He worked primarily as a promoter of young scientists as well as the expansion of scientific institutions. In the U.S., he was one of the first representatives of evolutionary theory, which was formulated by Charles Darwin. Together with Thomas Mayo Brewer and Robert Ridgway was one of the first who was worried about the bird breeds and local differences in the subspecies ' nascant species " suspected species in the formation.

The list of publications of Spencer Fullerton Baird comprised 1843-1882 a total of 1063 entries, of which only 775 Publications Articles represented in its annual reports. His most important works were:

• Catalogue of North American Reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution ( Washington, 1853, with Charles Frédéric Girard )
• Catalogue of North American Birds (Washington 1858)
• Birds, in the series of reports of explorations and surveys for a railway route from the Mississippi river to the Pacific ocean (1858 ), which marked a new era of Ornithology according to statements by Elliott Coues,
• Mammals of North America: Descriptions based on Collections in the Smithsonian Institution ( Philadelphia, 1859)
• Review of North American Birds (Washington 1864-66 )
• A History of North American Birds ( Boston, 1875-1884; Country Birds, 3 vols, Water Birds, 2 vols. ), A monumental work which he created together with Thomas Mayo Brewer and Robert Ridgway.