514:
365:. He read the French literature and, despite the war with France, corresponded with the zoologists in Paris. He applied the new principles to his own research and brought them to the attention of other British zoologists through his publications. Between the years 1813 and 1830 he produced more than 130 scientific articles and books. By applying the natural method in these works he created more than 380 new genera, many of which have stood the test of time and remain valid today.
392:, remained in this country nearly stationary. It is mainly to Dr Leach that we are indebted for having opened the eyes of English zoologists to the importance of those principles which had long guided the French naturalists. Whilst he greatly contributed to the advancement of the natural system by his own researches, he gave a turn to those of others, and made the first step towards weaning his countrymen from the school they had so long adhered to.'
134:
426:) told the inquiry that in Britain, before Leach's work, "zoology was utterly neglected; 20 years ago it was anything but popular; certainly there were very few amateurs that paid much attention to it." "In your judgment," the committee proposed, "Dr Leach has the eminent credit of having raised the science of zoology in England?" "Indeed I think so" replied Griffiths.
384:, then continued, 'England, we fear, has but little to produce as the result of her labours in zoology during the same period. Our countrymen were too much riveted to the principles of the Linnaean school to appreciate the value of the natural system ... There was a general repugnance to everything that appeared like an innovation on the system of
290:, wrote, "Few men have ever devoted themselves to zoology with greater zeal than Dr Leach, or attained at an early period of life a higher reputation at home and abroad as a profound naturalist. He was one of the most laborious and successful, as well as one of the most universal, cultivators of zoology which this country has ever produced."
963:
Report from the Select
Committee appointed to inquire into the Condition, Management and Affairs of the British Museum; to whom was referred the Report of the Select Committee of 1835; with Minutes of Evidence, Appendix and Index. Ordered, by The House of Commons, to be Printed, 14 July 1836. pp.
353:
In continental Europe in the late 18th century naturalists began to revise the way they grouped species. They used a wider array of characters, not just one or two, and began to discern groups of species that physically resembled one another, lived in similar ways and occupied similar habitats.
298:
Despite his expertise in particular animal groups, Leach's greatest contribution was his almost single-handed modernisation of the whole of
British zoology following its stagnation during the long war with post-revolutionary and Napoleonic France.
429:
In his short career Leach had brought
British zoology back to the cutting edge of the subject and as a consequence had put the next generation of British zoologists on much firmer ground. The next generation of British zoologists contained both
1192:
411:
that it was Leach who, "was the first to make the
English acquainted, by his works and by his improved manner of arranging the collections of the Museum, with the progress that had been made in natural science on
258:
due to overwork and became unable to continue his researches. He resigned from the museum in March 1822 and his elder sister Jane took him to continental Europe to convalesce. They lived in Italy and (briefly)
338:
but these animals are not otherwise similar in appearance, do not live in the same environment, and do not behave in the same way. The grouping does separate animals with hard outer skeletons from
201:, where he had responsibility for the zoological collections. Here he threw himself into the task of reorganising and modernising these collections, many of which had been neglected since
1212:
441:
Despite his impact, today Elford Leach is remembered mainly in the scientific names of the many species that honour him. In the years up to 1850 alone 137 new species were named
369:
354:
They created new genera to house these coherent groups and referred to these as 'natural genera'. They named this approach the 'natural method' or 'natural system' of
1202:
1197:
639:
310:
in the middle of the 18th century. This was a powerful tool but its principles led to artificial groupings of species when creating larger groups such as
220:
193:
From 1813 Leach concentrated on his zoological interests and was employed as an 'Assistant
Librarian' (what would later be called Assistant Keeper) in the
701:. The first known British specimen of this bird had been purchased by Leach on behalf of the British Museum for £5 15s in the sale of the collection of
251:
and was in contact with scientists in the United States and throughout Europe. In 1816 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal
Society at the age of 25.
1232:
1227:
1222:
1207:
807:
396:
1187:
1021:
843:
964:
i–viii, 1–577, Appendix 10 (separate pagination 1–173), 578–606, Index (separate pagination 1–145). Quotes from paragraphs 2108, 2119, 2463
513:
1167:
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871:
1217:
1172:
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155:
1162:
1117:
948:
Report of the Fourth
Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science held at Edinburgh in 1834. pp. 148–149
835:
194:
20:
1137:
750:
175:
1132:
702:
113:
1177:
621:
Systematic catalogue of the
Specimens of the Indigenous Mammalia and Birds that are preserved at the British Museum
569:
after an unknown woman called
Caroline, using anagrams of that name and the Latinised form Carolina, for example:
1182:
287:
861:
555:
472:
187:
1037:
995:
484:
480:
179:
724:
518:
488:
466:
215:
1109:
Leach's
Systematic catalogue of the specimens of the indigenous mammalia and birds in the British Museum
1058:
A Popular History of British Crustacea; Comprising a Familiar Account of Their Classification and Habits
758:
736:
730:
435:
268:
70:
1147:
1142:
677:
404:
1056:
355:
350:, etc. but does not produce a group 'Insecta' with clear similarities shared by all its members.
303:
183:
138:
422:
1017:
924:
900:
839:
827:
803:
577:
533:
388:; and for many years ... zoology, which was making rapid strides in France and other parts of
255:
1100:
762:
592:
559:
408:
315:
122:
860:
615:
Monograph on the British Crabs, Lobsters, Prawns and other Crustacea with pedunculated eyes
362:
89:
1093:
479:
In the non-scientific literature he is honoured in the common names of several species.
322:
had called all animals encased in a hard outer skeleton, insects. He therefore grouped
154:, the son of an attorney. At the age of twelve he began a medical apprenticeship at the
977:
896:
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400:
373:
198:
167:
97:
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417:
413:
389:
385:
381:
319:
307:
283:
604:
Leach's written works during his time at the British Museum include the following:
224:
206:
1079:
The zoological miscellany : being descriptions of new, or interesting animals
832:
The Copepodologist's Cabinet: A Biographical and Bibliographical History, Volume 1
525:, 1857, showing three genera of crustacea named by Leach as anagrams of Carolina:
133:
1105:
1084:
1075:
380:. Discussing the science in the years before 1817 he noted the advances made on
800:
Rifle-Green by Nature: A Regency Naturalist and his Family, William Elford Leach
361:
Unlike many of his countrymen, Leach was aware of these developments across the
323:
202:
866:
502:
347:
210:
93:
416:. Thus a new impetus was given to zoology". Edward Griffiths (translator of
706:
339:
335:
248:
244:
240:
236:
228:
163:
118:
558:, who had died while collecting the species in Africa on the expedition of
694:
583:
571:
539:
527:
464:
Leach is commemorated in the scientific names of two species of lizards,
331:
151:
51:
1002:. London: British Museum. Elford Leach honoured at pp. 2115, 3464–3466.
588:
547:
327:
272:
264:
159:
497:
232:
722:. Many other genera created by Leach have classical names such as
566:
551:
512:
343:
311:
276:
260:
171:
132:
302:
In Britain zoologists remained committed to the system of animal
676:
Charles Darwin was guided in his natural history researches by
495:, is also known as Leach's kookaburra. Leach created the genus
834:. Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society, Volume 240.
166:. By this time he was already collecting marine animals from
1016:. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp.
946:
British Association for the Advancement of Science. (1835).
680:. As a teenager Henslow had been tutored in zoology by Leach
546:
Leach's nomenclature was often personal – he named nineteen
399:
completed a detailed investigation of the management of the
693:
but was unaware this species had already been described by
1193:
Alumni of the Medical College of St Bartholomew's Hospital
205:
left them to the nation. In 1815, he published the first
1012:
Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011).
596:
which he named in 1818 after both Caroline and Cranch.
247:. In his day he was the world's leading expert on the
235:
and birds. and was the naturalist who separated the
243:from the insects, giving them their own group, the
85:
59:
37:
30:
370:British Association for the Advancement of Science
174:coast. At seventeen he began studying medicine at
117:(2 February 1791 – 25 August 1836) was an English
16:English zoologist and marine biologist (1790–1836)
961:Parliamentary Papers, House of Commons. (1836).
395:Two years later, the year of Leach's death, the
378:The Recent Progress and Present State of Zoology
1213:Employees of the Natural History Museum, London
1118:William Elford Leach and his eternal Petrel....
629:(circulated 1820, but not published until 1852)
875:. Vol. 32. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
8:
891:Barbara Mearns & Richard Mearns (1988).
705:in 1819. At the same sale he also bought a
640:Category:Taxa named by William Elford Leach
223:). He also worked and published on other
27:
19:For other people named William Leach, see
925:"Obituary. William Elford Leach, MD, FRS"
821:
819:
627:Synopsis of the Mollusca of Great Britain
178:in London, finishing his training at the
1032:
1030:
886:
884:
882:
798:Keith Harrison & Eric Smith (2008).
793:
791:
789:
787:
785:
783:
781:
1000:Index Animalium... Section 2, 1801–1850
982:Memoir of the Rev. John Stevens Henslow
918:
916:
777:
651:
1203:Alumni of the University of St Andrews
1088:Malacostraca podophthalmata Britanniae
523:A Popular History of British Crustacea
368:In 1834, at the annual meeting of the
1198:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
7:
984:. London: John van Voorst. pp. 8–9.
150:Elford Leach was born at Hoe Gate,
761:and was posthumously completed by
221:Timeline of entomology – 1800–1850
14:
1014:The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles
667:Harrison & Smith, pp. 553–564
872:Dictionary of National Biography
1233:19th-century British zoologists
1228:19th-century English scientists
1223:Scientists from Plymouth, Devon
1208:Employees of the British Museum
929:The Magazine of Natural History
407:had received confirmation from
403:. During their interviews the
254:However, in 1821 he suffered a
1097:Molluscorum Britanniæ synopsis
1038:"Cirolana cranchi Leach, 1818"
836:American Philosophical Society
554:after his employee and friend
190:(where he had never studied).
156:Devonshire and Exeter Hospital
21:William Leach (disambiguation)
1:
862:"Leach, William Elford"
709:and an egg for just over £16.
689:Temminck created the species
1188:Fellows of the Royal Society
1061:. Lovell Reeve. p. 250.
893:Biographies for Birdwatchers
508:
802:. London: The Ray Society.
749:This book was dedicated to
587:. These include the marine
1249:
1081:. Three volumes. 1814–1817
718:Other such genera include
195:Natural History Department
18:
1168:English marine biologists
826:David M. Damkaer (2002).
751:Marie Jules César Savigny
609:The Zoological Miscellany
288:Linnean Society of London
176:St Bartholomew's Hospital
103:
78:
859:Thomas Seccombe (1892).
473:Rhacodactylus leachianus
188:University of St Andrews
996:Charles Davies Sherborn
485:Coenraad Jacob Temminck
483:was named after him by
180:University of Edinburgh
1218:English encyclopedists
1173:English ornithologists
1158:British carcinologists
1153:British arachnologists
950:. London: John Murray.
923:Francis Boott (1837).
543:
489:blue-winged kookaburra
216:Edinburgh Encyclopedia
147:
142:described by Leach in
1163:English entomologists
759:Giuseppe Saverio Poli
516:
436:Alfred Russel Wallace
269:San Sebastiano Curone
144:Zoological Miscellany
136:
71:San Sebastiano Curone
1055:White, Adam (1857).
1024:. ("Leach", p. 153).
838:. pp. 131–155.
678:John Stevens Henslow
509:Leach's nomenclature
481:Leach's storm-petrel
461:and other variants.
110:William Elford Leach
32:William Elford Leach
1138:English taxonomists
691:Procellaria leachii
286:, secretary of the
279:on 25 August 1836.
1133:English zoologists
1111:. 1882, Edited by
1099:. 1852, Edited by
809:978-0-9-03874-35-9
544:
517:Illustration from
182:before graduating
148:
139:Libinia emarginata
1178:Marine zoologists
1022:978-1-4214-0135-5
845:978-0-87169-240-5
658:i.e. hard-working
589:isopod crustacean
263:and he died from
256:nervous breakdown
107:
106:
80:Scientific career
1240:
1183:Myriapodologists
1101:John Edward Gray
1063:
1062:
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1046:
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763:John Edward Gray
747:
741:
716:
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687:
681:
674:
668:
665:
659:
656:
593:Cirolana cranchi
565:. He named nine
487:in 1820 and the
409:John Edward Gray
397:House of Commons
318:. For example,
123:marine biologist
116:
66:
54:, Devon, England
47:
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998:. (1922–1933).
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703:William Bullock
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423:Le Règne Animal
363:English Channel
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90:Natural history
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48:2 February 1791
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1070:External links
1068:
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1026:
1005:
987:
978:Leonard Jenyns
969:
953:
938:
931:. New Series.
912:
905:
897:Academic Press
878:
851:
844:
828:"Adding pages"
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776:
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755:Georges Cuvier
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493:Dacelo leachii
467:Anolis leachii
432:Charles Darwin
401:British Museum
374:Leonard Jenyns
356:classification
334:, spiders and
306:introduced by
304:classification
295:
292:
213:in Brewster's
199:British Museum
170:and along the
168:Plymouth Sound
130:
127:
105:
104:
101:
100:
98:marine biology
87:
83:
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67:(aged 45)
63:25 August 1836
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418:George Cuvier
415:
414:the Continent
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390:the Continent
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382:the Continent
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284:Francis Boott
280:
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226:
225:invertebrates
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129:Life and work
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699:P. leucorhoa
698:
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600:Bibliography
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394:
377:
376:reported on
367:
360:
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301:
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281:
253:
231:, reptiles,
214:
207:bibliography
192:
149:
143:
137:
109:
108:
79:
65:(1836-08-25)
25:
1148:1836 deaths
1143:1791 births
867:Lee, Sidney
617:(1815–1820)
611:(1814–1817)
556:John Cranch
503:kookaburras
348:vertebrates
324:butterflies
282:In 1837 Dr
275:, north of
203:Hans Sloane
158:, studying
1127:Categories
980:. (1862).
772:References
519:Adam White
459:elfordiana
336:centipedes
241:millipedes
237:centipedes
229:amphibians
211:entomology
94:entomology
44:1791-02-02
935:(7): 390.
725:Hippolyte
707:great auk
505:in 1815.
451:leachella
447:leachiana
342:, worms,
340:jellyfish
332:scorpions
249:Crustacea
245:Myriapoda
186:from the
164:chemistry
119:zoologist
737:Palaemon
731:Eurydice
720:Nelocira
695:Vieillot
634:See also
584:Rocinela
578:Conilera
572:Cirolana
550:and one
540:Rocinela
534:Conilera
528:Cirolana
501:for the
455:elfordii
386:Linnaeus
328:lobsters
320:Linnaeus
316:families
308:Linnaeus
152:Plymouth
146:in 1815.
52:Plymouth
869:(ed.).
548:species
443:leachii
273:Tortona
271:, near
265:cholera
233:mammals
197:of the
160:anatomy
73:, Italy
1090:. 1815
1020:
903:
842:
806:
757:, and
623:(1816)
567:genera
498:Dacelo
344:snails
312:genera
294:Legacy
86:Fields
1042:WorMS
865:. In
646:Notes
562:Congo
552:genus
326:with
277:Genoa
261:Malta
219:(see
172:Devon
1018:ISBN
901:ISBN
840:ISBN
804:ISBN
734:and
581:and
560:HMS
537:and
470:and
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314:and
239:and
162:and
121:and
60:Died
38:Born
1106:BHL
1094:BHL
1085:BHL
1076:BHL
697:as
521:'s
420:'s
405:MPs
267:in
209:of
114:FRS
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372:,
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346:,
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