Albert Charles Lewis Günther

Biography

It makes studies of Théologie at the university of Tübingen in 1847 and enters the orders, in the Church Lutheran, four years later. But impassioned by the Natural history, it turns to studies of medicine, undoubtedly influenced by the teaching of Wilhelm Ludwig Rapp (1794-1868).

It obtains a doctorate of Philosophie in 1853 and then undertakes studies of medicine to Berlin where it follows in particular the courses of Johannes Peter Müller (1801-1858). In 1854, it goes to Bonn where it starts an important collaboration with Franz Hermann Troschel (1810-1882).

In 1857, it offers its services to John Edward Gray (1800-1875), conservation of the department of zoology of the British Museum where it will succeed this station in 1875. Gray the recruiting to carry out the catalog of the collections of Snake S of the natural history museum. It publishes, four months later, the Catalog off Colubrine Snakes (1858) resulting from the examination of 3.100 specimens. Gray then assigns to him the realization of the catalog of the Grenouille S that Günther also finishes in four months, Catalog off the Batrachia Salientia (1858).

Taking into account the speed of its work, Gray then makes it to Günther possible to launch out in a task worthy of work of Hercules: the inventory of the collections of Poisson S of the natural history museum which will occupy it all its life. The Catalog off the Fishes off the British Museum appears in eight volumes of 1859 to 1870. It described 6.843 species and it there announces 1.682 doubtful species. This Catalog will play a big role in Ichtyologie by stimulating the development of studies on fish.

Parallel to its work in ichtyology, it continues to make research on the Reptile S and the Amphibien S. It makes appear in 1864, Reptiles off British India , publication that Gray does not approve.

In 1867, it establishes that the kind Sphenodon of New Zealand does not belong to the Lézard S but is the only current representative of a extinct order: the Rhynchocephalia.

He becomes member of the Royal Society in 1867 and becomes prize winner of the Médaille linnéenne in 1904.

Like Gray before him, Günther takes an active part in the increase in the collections of the natural history museum. Under its direction, those pass from 1,3 million specimens to 2,2 million. The period of colonial expansion that knows at the time the the United Kingdom is favorable to the harvest of many specimens. Günther is also responsible for the removal of the collections of British Museum de Bloomsbury with South Kensington after the construction of new buildings and of the library.

In 1865, it founds the Zoological Record , which indexes all the zoological publications.

It makes come George Albert Boulenger (1858-1937) which takes its succession with the head of the department of the Vertébré S inferiors in 1879 and which will contribute in its turn with the increase in the collections and knowledge, in particular in Herpétologie. Its library is acquired partly by the American ichtyologist Carl H. Eigenmann (1863-1927), the library of this last will be acquired with its all by Carl Leavitt Hubbs (1894-1979).

Appendices

List partial of the publications

1858 : Catalog off the Batrachia Salientia in the collection off the British Museum . London.
1861 : Catalog off the acanthopterygian fishes in the collection off the British Museum. 3. Gobiidae, Discoboli, Pediculati, Blenniidae, Labyrinthici, Mugilidae, Notacanthi. London: i-xxv + 1-586 + i-x.
1863 : One new specimens off Snakes in the collection off the British Museum. Sep. Annals Mag. Nat. Hist., 1-6.

1863 : Third account off new species off snakes in the collection off the British Museum. Sep. Annals Mag. Nat. Hist. , 1-17.

1864 : Carryforward one has collection off Reptiles and Fishes made by Dr. Kirk in the Zambesi and Nyassa areas. Sep. Proceed. Zool. Plowshare London , 1-12.

1864 : Descriptions off new species off Batrachians from West Africa. Sep. Proceed. Zool. Plowshare London, 1-4.

1865 : Fourth account off new species off snakes in the collection off the British Museum. Sep. Annals Mag. Nat. Hist., 1-10.

1867 : Contribution to the anatomy off Hatteria ( Rhynchocephalus , Owen). Sep. Philosophical Transactions, II: 1-36.

1867 : Descriptions off nap new gold little-known species off Fishes in the collection off the British Museum. Proceedings off the Zoological Society off London, Jan. 24:99 - 104.

1868: First account off species off tailless Batrachians added to the collection off the British Museum. Proceed. Zool. Plowshare London , III: 478-490.

1868 : Sixth account off new species off snakes in the collection off the British Museum. Sep. Annals Mag. Nat. Hist., 1-17.

1868 : First account off species off Tailless Batrachians added to the collection off the British Museum. Proceedings off the Zoological Society off London (III), June 25:478 - 490.

1868: Carryforward one has off collection Fishes made At St Helena by J.C. Meliss. Proceedings off the Zoological Society off London (II): 225-228.

1868 : Descriptions off freshwater Fishes made from Surinam and Brazil. Proceedings off the Zoological Society off London (II): 229-246.

1872 : Seventh account off new species off snakes in the collection off the British Museum. Annals Mag. Nat. Hist. , 13-37.

1874 : Description off has new European Species Zootoca off. Annals and Magazine off Natural History , August.

1874 : Descriptions off nap new gold imperfectly known species off Reptiles from the Camaroon Mountains. Proceedings off the Zoological Society , London, June 16:444 - 445.

1875: Second carryforward one collection off Indian Reptiles obtained by the British Museum. Proceedings off the Zoological Society , London, March 16: 224-234.

1875 : Third carryforward one collections off Indian Reptiles obtained by the British Museum. Proceedings off the Zoological Society off London : 567-577.

1876 : Statement regarding Dr. Welwitsch' S Angola Reptiles. Jornal de Sciencias Mathematicas, Physicas E Naturaes, Academia Real das Sciencias de Lisboa , V (20): 275-276.

1876 : Notes there is small collection brought by Lieut. L. Cameron, from Angola. Proceedings off the Zoological Society off London , p. 678.

1876: Remarks one summons Indian and, more especially, Bornean Mammals. Proceedings off the Zoological Society off London , III: 424-428.

1876 : Carta para Scrap-metal, C Zoological Department (British Museum), 26 of Junho, has falar of Welwitsch. Arquivo histórico C Museu Scrap-metal , CE/G-88.

1877 : Broad note off two extinct lizards formerly inhabiting the Mascarene Islands. Sep. Linnean Society' S Newspaper - Zoology , vol. 13:321 - 328.

1878: One Reptiles from Midian collected by Major Burton. Proceedings off the Zoological Society off London : 977-978. 1 stamped.

1879 : The extinct reptiles off Rodriguez. Sep. Philosoph. Trans. Roy. Plowshare , 168 (extra-flight.), London: 470-472.

1879 : List off the Mammals, Reptiles, and Batrachians feels by Mr. Everett from the Filipino Islands. Proceedings off the Zoological Society , London, January 14:74 - 79.

1882: Observations one summons rare Reptiles and has Batrachian now gold lately living room in the Society' S Menagerie. Transactions off the Zoological Society , London VI, share VII (1): 215-222, pl. 42-46.

1885 : Note one has supposed melanotic variety off the Leopard, from South Africa. Proceedings off the Zoological Society off London , March 3:243 - 245, illustration of Felis leopardus .

1888 : Contribution to the knowledge off Snakes off Tropical Africa. Annals Mag. Nat. Hist. , (6), 1:322 - 335. Ahoetulla bocagei, sp. Nov. . Angola.

1888 : Carryforward one has collection off Reptiles and Batrachians feels by Emin Pasha from Monbuttu, Upper Congo. Proceed. Zool. Plowshare London , 50-51.

1895 : Note off Reptiles and Batrachians collected in the Eastern Half off Tropical Africa. Annals Mag. Nat. Hist. , (6) 15:523 - 529.

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