Louis Antoine François Baillon
Louis Antoine François Baillon (January 20, 1778 – December 3, 1855) was a French naturalist and collector. He was born in Montreuil-sur-Mer and died in Abbeville.
His father, Jean-François-Emmanuel Baillon (1742-1802), a lawyer and correspondent of the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, introduced him to natural history. In 1798, Baillon began work at as an assistant at the Jardin des Plantes, a position he relinquished following the death of his father. Afterwards, he settled in Abbeville, and like his father, became known for his correspondence with famed naturalists including Franco Andrea Bonelli, Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire and Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied[1]
During his career, he continued and developed an ornithological collection that was initiated by his father, a collection that eventually grew to 6000 items.Baillon's collection is now conserved in "Musée George-Sand et de la Vallée noire" in La Châtre. In addition to birds from France it contains exotic specimens from French voyages of exploration notably birds from the expeditions of Jacques Labillardière and Jules Dumont d'Urville. [1] He is particularly noted for his Cetacea skeletons [citation needed] and was the author of a monograph on the fauna of Abbeville, Catalogue des mammifères, oiseaux, reptiles, poissons et mollusques testacés marins observés dans l'arrondissement d'Abbeville.[2]
Baillon's Crake is named for him, as is Baillon's Shearwater and Baillonius bailloni (saffron toucanet).[1]
References
- ^ a b c Musée George-Sand et de la Vallée noire Collections ornithologiques
- ^ Google Books Catalogue des mammifères, oiseaux, etc.
- ^ International Plant Names Index. Baillon.
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