Henry Witherby
| Henry Forbes Witherby | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 October 1873 |
| Died | 11 December 1943 (aged 70) |
| Nationality | British |
| Other names | Harry |
| Occupation | Publisher |
| Known for | Ornithology, publishing |
| Notable works | |
Henry Forbes Witherby, M.B.E., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. (7 October 1873 - 11 December 1943 (aged 70); known as Harry) was a noted British ornithologist, author, publisher and founding editor (in 1907) of British Birds magazine.
'Harry' was the second surviving son of Henry Forbes Witherby of Burley, Hants. After leaving school he entered the old family publishing firm of Witherby and Co., from which he retired, but resumed work again after the outbreak of the first world war. The family firm of H. F and G. Witherby, originally printers, began to publish bird books early in the 20th century.
From an early age Witherby devoted himself to the study of ornithology, travelling extensively, including visits to Iran, the Kola Peninsula, and the White Nile. He described the latter in his book Bird Hunting on the White Nile (1902).
He started one of the world's first two bird ringing schemes in 1909 (they merged in the late 1930s), transferring responsibility for it to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), who still run it, in 1937.
Witherby was Hon. Secretary and Treasurer (1904–14),[1] and Chairman (1924–27)[1] of the British Ornithologists' Club (1924–1927) and President of the council of the British Ornithologists' Union (BOU) (1933–1938).[1]
He was a founding member and early vice-chairman of the BTO, which survived through his financial generosity, not least in donating the proceeds of the sale of his extensive collection of stuffed birds to the British Museum.
Witherby's crowning glory was The Handbook of British Birds (1938–1941). Spanning five volumes, it was reprinted a number of times, the later editions having a few pages devoted to corrections and additions to previous editions, but few of these are of great significance. The main text was left untouched.
He was made an Honorary Fellow of the American Ornithologists' Union in 1928[1] and was awarded the Godman-Salvin Medal by the BOU in 1937.
During World War I he was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve[1] and was mentioned in dispatches.[1] He married Lillian Gillson in 1904.[1]
Witherby's Lark (Alaemon hamertoni) was named for him, in 1905, but is now more commonly known as the Lesser Hoopoe-lark.
[edit] References
- Mullens and Swann - A Bibliography of British Ornithology (1917)
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