Alexandre Constantinovich Chnéour
Encyclopedia
Alexandre Constantinovich (or Konstantinovitsch) Chnéour (he signed Schneeur on some articles written in German) (August 30 1884 , Saint Petersburg
-September 16 1977, San Francisco) was a Russia
n entomologist and herpetologist
As a young man Chnéour had an early passion for butterflies
. After travelling in Germany
and in Switzerland
, he studied at the school "Gurevich de Saint-Pétersbourg" then at the "Mihailovsky Artillery School".He left there with the rank of lieutenant and became an officer in a mobile unit artillery . Decorated at the very start of the First World War he joined, in 1916 , the Russian Air Force
and started a short career in aviation. He supplemented his military training with studies at the Military Academy. During the Soviet Revolution of 1917
, he joined the anticommunist White Army and fought in the mountains of the Caucasus
. He was later evacuated to the Gallipoli
camp in Turkey
.
Chnéour then went to Bulgaria
where he gave courses in a military academy of engineering to members of the white army. He then settled in Lyon
then, in 1929, in Tunisia
, where he worked as a cartographer
. Chnéour started to write on the butterflies
of Tunisia in 1934 , publishing, between 1934 and 1937, six articles in German
under the name Schneeur. Until 1956, he regularly published articles on the butterflies of Tunisia. With N Chpakowsky, he also published an article on the snakes of Tunisia. Chnéour had to leave Tunisia at the time of its independence in 1956. He emigrated to the United States
with his collection. He lived initially in New York
where, with the American Museum of Natural History
, he checked the identification of his Tunisian captures. He was then injured by a fall in the library where he worked. Chnéour next settled in California and gave his collections to the California Academy of Sciences
. At the age of 90 years he was wounded by a burglar and had to be hospitalized.
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
-September 16 1977, San Francisco) was a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n entomologist and herpetologist
Herpetology
Herpetology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians and reptiles...
As a young man Chnéour had an early passion for butterflies
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
. After travelling in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, he studied at the school "Gurevich de Saint-Pétersbourg" then at the "Mihailovsky Artillery School".He left there with the rank of lieutenant and became an officer in a mobile unit artillery . Decorated at the very start of the First World War he joined, in 1916 , the Russian Air Force
Russian Air Force
The Russian Air Force is the air force of Russian Military. It is currently under the command of Colonel General Aleksandr Zelin. The Russian Navy has its own air arm, the Russian Naval Aviation, which is the former Soviet Aviatsiya Voyenno Morskogo Flota , or AV-MF).The Air Force was formed from...
and started a short career in aviation. He supplemented his military training with studies at the Military Academy. During the Soviet Revolution of 1917
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
, he joined the anticommunist White Army and fought in the mountains of the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
. He was later evacuated to the Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
camp in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
Chnéour then went to Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
where he gave courses in a military academy of engineering to members of the white army. He then settled in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
then, in 1929, in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, where he worked as a cartographer
Cartography
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
. Chnéour started to write on the butterflies
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of Tunisia in 1934 , publishing, between 1934 and 1937, six articles in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
under the name Schneeur. Until 1956, he regularly published articles on the butterflies of Tunisia. With N Chpakowsky, he also published an article on the snakes of Tunisia. Chnéour had to leave Tunisia at the time of its independence in 1956. He emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with his collection. He lived initially in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where, with the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
, he checked the identification of his Tunisian captures. He was then injured by a fall in the library where he worked. Chnéour next settled in California and gave his collections to the California Academy of Sciences
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is among the largest museums of natural history in the world. The academy began in 1853 as a learned society and still carries out a large amount of original research, with exhibits and education becoming significant endeavors of the museum during the twentieth...
. At the age of 90 years he was wounded by a burglar and had to be hospitalized.
Source
- Paul H. Arnaud Jr (2001), Obituary: Alexandre Constantinovich Chnéour (Schneeur) (1887-1977). Myia, 6: 205-212. - the author quotes a complete bibliography of Chénour as well as the list of taxaTaxon|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
which were dedicated to him.