Johann Ferdinand Adam von Pernau

Johann Ferdinand Adam von Pernau , count de Rosenau (November 7th 1660, Steinach in Austria - October 14th 1731 with Rosenau), is a Austrian ornithologist .

Its family, of confession Lutheran must leave the Austria to settle in Franconie. It enters to the university of Altdorf, close to Nuremberg, in Bavaria at 16 years. Society man, it travels several years in Italy, France and with the Netherlands and attends in particular the court of the duke of Cobourg and Gotha. It is interested in the intellectual life of its time and makes appear the first translations in German of the work of Nicolas Boileau (1636-1711) and of Madeleine de Scudéry (1607-1701). It Marie in 1692 with Maria Elisabeth Hendt von Römingsdorff. It acquires a castle with Rosenau then, close to Cobourg, and where it will remain until its death.

Impassioned by the Bird X, it builds vast birdcages where it can raise many species. Knowing well the behavior of the birds which it observed in nature, it ingénie to domesticate them: it releases from them some which return towards him after an overflight of the area.

It publishes in 1702, anonymously, the report of its experiments which will quickly be republished in 1707 with Cobourg and 1716 in Nuremberg. He refuses that his name is reproduced on a book, considering futile the search for such honors. The first edition does not seem to be authorized by Pernau, contrary to the second which is enriched considerably. These books are extremely rare. The title, between the first and the third edition, evolves/moves somewhat:

1702 : Unterricht was put dem lieblichen Geschöpff, denen Vögeln, auch ausser dem Fang Nur durch die Ergründung Deren Eigenschafften und Zahmmachung oder ander Abrichtung Man sich vo Lust und Zeitvertreib machen könne: gestellt Durch den Hoch- und Wohlgebohrnen (Instruction on the pleasure which one can obtain from these charming creatures, the birds, without counting of their capture as well as a complete study their practices as well as to tame them and to educate them).

1716 : Angenehmer Ziet-Vertreib, welchen das liebliche Geschöpf Die Vögel, Auch ausser dem Fang in Ergründung deren Eigenschaften Zahmmachung oder anderer Abrichtung dem Menschen schaffen können; MIT vielen Anmerckungen versehen und put schönen Kupffern gezieret Durch einen Die erschaffenen Creaturen beschauenden Liebhaber (pleasant Pastime where these beautiful creatures, the birds, can give to the man, in addition to tear captures, the study of their characteristic, their domestication and their training… by in love which observes the alive creatures).

In 1720, it makes appear a new test with Francfort-sur-le-Main and Leipzig, where it affirms, the first, that the song of the birds is not inevitably instinctive but that it is the result of a training. This book is entitled Angenehme Land-Lust Deren man in Städten und auf dem Lande, ohne, sonderbare Kosten, unschuldig geniessen kan, oder von Unterschied Fang Einstellung und Abrichtung der Vögel (Pleasure country and pleasant of which we can profit innocently and without purse to untie in the cities and the campaigns or on all the details to catch, to tame, educate the birds).

It is as the first to recognize as the factor release of the migrations is not the hunger or the cold, but which it is about a hidden mechanism.

Von Pernau can be truly regarded as one of the fathers of the ethology, anticipating many observations of Konrad Lorenz. It is also one of the first to express its dislike in front of the death of the birds: I do not intend to describe how to catch the birds '' but to describe the pleasure to observe these beautiful creatures of God without killing them . He also anticipates the future evolution of ornithology.

Its widow survives to him 23 years.

Sources

Erwin Stresemann (1947). Baron von Pernau, pioneer student off Bird Behavior, The Auk , 64 (1 - January-March 1947) : 35-52.
Michael Walters (2003). has Concise History Ornithology off. Yale University Close (New Haven, Connecticut): 255 p.

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