Natural history Robert Swinhoe

yangtze giant softshell turtle sent robert swinhoe john edward gray @ british museum.

at young age had been interested in birds , had made small collection of british birds, nests , eggs. corresponded henry stevenson , 1 of first publications in 1858, year in charles darwin , alfred russel wallace published paper on natural selection. swinhoe took ideas of darwin , in 1872 named species (now subspecies) after darwin (pucrasia macrolopha darwini). regular published in ibis after 1860 , later proceedings of zoological society of london.

during travels studied birds , mammals apart studying local culture. collected both live animals , specimens on travels , regularly sent them london zoo. first pere david s deer in europe came him.

his primary interest in birds , on these corresponded extensively edward blyth. around 1871 started suffering partial paralysis , moved chefoo called scarborough of china . forced ill health leave china in october 1875. home in chelsea continued publish notes , last publication in ibis description of new genus , species of bird liocichla steerii. died @ age of 41, presumably of syphilis.

p. l. sclater described him 1 of industrious , successful exploring naturalists have ever lived , after death, a. r. wallace wrote due mr. swinhoe s own exertions...there no part of world (if except europe, north america, , british india) of warm-blooded vertebrates possess fuller or more accurate knowledge of coast districts of china , islands.

his collection of 3,700 specimens bought henry seebohm , subsequently bequeathed liverpool museum.

four species of mammals , 15 species of birds named after swinhoe, including swinhoe s storm-petrel, first described himself in 1867. also, 4 species of reptiles named in honor: gekko swinhonis, japalura swinhonis, rhabdophis swinhonis, , yangtze giant softshell turtle (rafetus swinhoei ), specimen of john edward gray received swinhoe in 1873.

one of robert s brothers, colonel charles swinhoe founding member of bombay natural history society in india , expert on lepidoptera.