George Henry Horn
Encyclopedia
George Henry Horn was a U.S.
entomologist
who specialized in the study of beetle
s.
Born in Philadelphia, Horn attended the University of Pennsylvania
, from which he graduated with a degree in medicine in 1861. From 1862 to 1866, he served in the American Civil War
as surgeon to the infantry of the California Volunteers, during which time he collected insects extensively in California, Arizona, and New Mexico. He then returned to Philadelphia, where he established a medical practice, specializing in obstetrics, and was elected president of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia, the predecessor of the American Entomological Society
, remaining president of the latter society until his death. Working with the collection he had made during his service in the West, he published "more than 150 important papers, in addition to very many minor notes; in these papers about 150 genera and more than 1550 species are defined". He bequeathed his collections of insects to the American Entomological Society; they are now in the Museum of Comparative Zoology
at Harvard University
.
According to the entomologist Neal L. Evenhuis, "Horn’s taxonomy was almost beyond reproach, and this was no doubt due to careful and deliberate study of specimens while comparing them to types. Horn made it a point to travel to European museums, attend foreign entomological society meetings, and study type material firsthand." Throughout his career, he worked closely with John Lawrence LeConte
, most notably as coauthor of the revised and expanded 1883 edition of LeConte's then-standard Classification of the Coleoptera of North America; and after LeConte's death Horn was recognized as "easily the most eminent investigator in his chosen line of work".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entomologist
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
who specialized in the study of beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s.
Born in Philadelphia, Horn attended the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, from which he graduated with a degree in medicine in 1861. From 1862 to 1866, he served in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
as surgeon to the infantry of the California Volunteers, during which time he collected insects extensively in California, Arizona, and New Mexico. He then returned to Philadelphia, where he established a medical practice, specializing in obstetrics, and was elected president of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia, the predecessor of the American Entomological Society
American Entomological Society
The American Entomological Society was founded on March 1, 1859. It is the oldest continuously-operating entomological society in the Western Hemisphere, and one the oldest scientific societies in the United States. It is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, remaining president of the latter society until his death. Working with the collection he had made during his service in the West, he published "more than 150 important papers, in addition to very many minor notes; in these papers about 150 genera and more than 1550 species are defined". He bequeathed his collections of insects to the American Entomological Society; they are now in the Museum of Comparative Zoology
Museum of Comparative Zoology
The Museum of Comparative Zoology, full name "The Louis Agassiz Museum of Comparative Zoology", often abbreviated simply to "MCZ", is a zoology museum located on the grounds of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is one of three museums which collectively comprise the Harvard Museum...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
According to the entomologist Neal L. Evenhuis, "Horn’s taxonomy was almost beyond reproach, and this was no doubt due to careful and deliberate study of specimens while comparing them to types. Horn made it a point to travel to European museums, attend foreign entomological society meetings, and study type material firsthand." Throughout his career, he worked closely with John Lawrence LeConte
John Lawrence LeConte
John Lawrence LeConte was the most important American entomologist of the 19th century, responsible for naming and describing approximately half of the insect taxa known in the United States during his lifetime, including some 5,000 species of beetles...
, most notably as coauthor of the revised and expanded 1883 edition of LeConte's then-standard Classification of the Coleoptera of North America; and after LeConte's death Horn was recognized as "easily the most eminent investigator in his chosen line of work".
External links
- "A Biographical Notice of George Henry Horn" by Philip P. Calvert, Transactions of the American Entomological Society, vol. XXV (1898)
- "The Entomological Writings of George Henry Horn" by Samuel Henshaw, Transactions of the American Entomological Society, vol. XXV (1898)