William Yarrell

William Yarrell (3 June 1784 - 1 September 1856) was an English bookseller and naturalist.

Yarrell is best known as the author of The History of British Fishes (2 vols., 1836) and The History of British Birds (2 vols., 1843). The latter went into several editions and was the standard reference work for a generation of British ornithologists. He was also the first person to describe the Bewick's Swan in 1830, distinguishing it from the larger Whooper Swan.

Life and work

He was born in Duke Street, St. James's in Westminster, where his father and uncle ran a newspaper agency. He studied at Ealing. In 1802 he became a clerk with Messrs. Herries Farquhar and Co. but left to join his cousin to continue his father's business.

He acquired the reputation of being the best shot and the best angler in London, and soon also became an expert naturalist. He became a member of the Royal Institution in 1817 and he made his first publication at the age of 40 in 1825 "On the Occurrence of some Rare British Birds." This was published in the 2nd volume of the 'Zoological Journal' and he later became one of the editors as well as being elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society. He wrote in 1827 on the structure of the tracheae of birds, plumage changes in pheasants. He interacted with Bewick, Sir William Jardine and Selby. His major works were "A History of British Fishes" (1836) and "A History of British Birds" (1843). These were so popular that the publisher Van Voorst stated that the sum received from the sales exceeded £4000.

He was one of the original members of the Zoological Society of London. In 1833, he was a founder of what became the Royal Entomological Society of London.

He died during a trip to Great Yarmouth and a memorial was later erected in St James Church, Piccadilly. He was buried in the churchyard of Bayford in Hertfordshire, with the epitaph chosen by him "He was the survivor of twelve brothers and sisters, who, with their father and mother, are all placed close to this spot, first and last, The earliest summon'd and the longest spared — Are here deposited."

Yarrell has a number of species named after him, including the birds Yellow-faced Siskin Carduelis yarrellii and Chilean Woodstar Eulidia yarrellii and the fish Yarrell's Blenny Chirolophis ascanii. The British sub-species of the White Wagtail, the Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarrellii, was also named for him.

Publications

• Observations on the Tracheae of Birds, with Descriptions and Representations of several not hitherto figured. — Linn. Trans. XV. 378.
• Description of a species of Tringa, killed in Cambridgeshire, new to England and Europe. — Ibid. xvi. 109.
• On the Organs of Voice in Birds. — Ibid. xvi. 305.
• On a new species of Wild Swan, taken in England, and hitherto confounded with the Hooper. — Ibid. xvi. 445.
• Description of the Organs of Voice in a new species of Wild Swan (Cygnus buccinator, Richards.). — Ibid. xvii.
• Descriptions of Three British Species of Freshwater Fishes, belonging to the genus Leuciscus of Klein. — Ibid. xvii. 5.
• On the Habits and Structure of the Great Bustard (Otis tarda of Linnaeus). — Ibid. xxi. 155.
• Notice of an Interwoven Mass of Filaments of Conferva fluviatilis of extraordinary size. — Proc. Linn. Soc. i. p. 65.
• On the Influence of the Sexual Organ in modifying External Character. — Journ. Linn. Soc. i. p. 76.

External links

•  "Yarrell, William". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 

 Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Yarrell, William". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

• Colour Prejudice and William Yarrell

Professional and academic associations
Preceded by Edward Turner Bennett	Secretary of the Zoological Society of London 1836–1838	Succeeded by William Ogilby