When it comes to the history of natural history, there are so many stories about so many interesting people, remarkable places, and fascinating discoveries to be told, and a seemingly inversely proportional number of people who possess the knowledge about them, as well the needed resources and skills to do so. Thus we have a vast number of names stretching far back into the past that are – to all but select specialists about any particular one of them – little more than that; names.
Fortunately for William Yarrell, the author of two oft-cited works of natural history from the nineteenth century, A History of British Fishes and A History of British Birds, member and sometime Treasurer, Secretary and Vice-President of the Zoological, Linnean, and Entomological Societies respectively, and the first person to recognize Bewick’s Swan as a separate species from the Whooper Swan, a person with the knowledge, professional resources, and necessary skills to tell the story of his life and works has risen to the task. Thanks to the diligent research and work of Christine E. Jackson, A Newsworthy Naturalist; The Life of William Yarrell has now been published by John Beaufoy Publishing in association with the British Ornithologists’ Club.
Newspaper publisher, note-worthy naturalist, long-time and dedicated supporter and participant in some of the world’s great learned societies, and all-around highly-regarded fellow, Mr. Yarrell is very much the manner of person whose life and works could easily have unjustly become increasingly obscure with the passing of the years were it not for the publication of Ms. Jackson’s new book, and I’m very glad that she and her publisher have given us all the opportunity not only to put a face to the name, but a story to it as well.
