Francis Day

This article is about the British zoologist . For the Governor of Madras, see Francis Day (Madras). For the American artist, see Francis Day (artist). For the British actress whose name has a similar spelling, see Frances Day.

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Francis Day CIE (1829–1889) was Inspector-General of Fisheries in India (from circa 1871) and Burma and an ichthyologist.

He was born on 2 March 1829 Maresfield, Sussex, UK third son of William and Ann Day. He became the medical officer in the Madras Presidency, East India Company services in 1852.

Francis Day was created a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire in 1885. He was decorated with the Order of the Crown of Italy. He retired in 1877.

Day wrote a monograph on fishes between 1875–1878 "The Fishes of India" with a supplement in 1888 and two volumes on "Fishes" in The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma series in which he described over 1400 species. He also wrote British and Irish Salmonadae, which he illustrated with 9 plates, the colouring of which was done by Miss Florence Woolward. Francis Day was granted an honorary LLD by the University of Edinburgh.

Day also published Fishes of Malabar in 1865.

Although considered an expert on the fishes of India, Albert Günther found many of Day's observations questionable.

Day was an active member, and president of the Cheltenham Natural Sciences Society and presented his papers to them. He was also was an active member of the Cotswold Field Club, where he was vice president.^{[citation needed]}

He died at his residence, Kenilworth House, Cheltenham on 10 July 1889 of cancer of the stomach and was buried at Cheltenham cemetery.

References

• Whitehead, P.J.P. & P.K. Talwar, 1976. Francis Day (1829–1889) and his collections of Indian Fishes. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Historical Series 5(1): 1–189, pls. 1–4.

External links

• BHL Digital versions of works by Francis Day
• http://www.amonline.net.au/collections/ichthyology/day.htm
• Day, Francis (1889) The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Fishes. Volume 1. Online
• Day, Francis (1889) The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Fishes. Volume 2. Online