James De Carle Sowerby was a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 mineralogist and illustrator. He received an education in chemistry

Chemistry

Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....

.

He continued his father's (James Sowerby

James Sowerby

James Sowerby was an English naturalist and illustrator. Contributions to published works, such as A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland or English Botany, include his detailed and appealing plates...

) work and published, together with his brother George Brettingham Sowerby I

George Brettingham Sowerby I

George Brettingham Sowerby I was a British naturalist, illustrator, and conchologist.He was the son of James Sowerby. Together with his brother James De Carle Sowerby he continued their father's work on fossil shells, publishing the latter parts of the Mineral Conchology of Great Britain...

, the latter volumes of the Mineral Conchology

Conchology

Conchology is the scientific or amateur study of mollusc shells. Conchology is one aspect of malacology, the study of molluscs, however malacology studies molluscs as whole organisms, not just their shells. Conchology pre-dated malacology as a field of study. It includes the study of land and...

 of Great Britain, begun by their father.

Together with a cousin, he founded the Royal Botanic Society and Gardens, and was its secretary for 30 years.