James Petiver
Encyclopedia
James Petiver was a London apothecary
, a Fellow of the Royal Society
as well as London's informal Temple Coffee House Botany Club, famous for his study of botany
and entomology
.
, Warwickshire
where his father was a haberdasher, he studied at Rugby Free School and became an apprentice to an apothecary
in London, supplying medicine to St. Bartholomew's Hospital. He is buried at St. Botolph Church.
He named the White Admiral
butterfly, and gave the name Fritillary
to another group of butterflies after the Latin word for a chequered dice box. He called skippers "hogs", swallowtails "Royal Williams", walls as "Enfield Eyes" and marbled whites as "Half-Mourners".
Petiver received many specimens, seeds and much other material from correspondents in the American and British colonies. After his death, his collections were purchased by Sir Hans Sloane for £4000, and some of it is now in the Natural History Museum
in London.
Apothecary
Apothecary is a historical name for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients — a role now served by a pharmacist and some caregivers....
, a Fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
as well as London's informal Temple Coffee House Botany Club, famous for his study of botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and entomology
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
.
Life
Born in HillmortonHillmorton
Hillmorton is an area of the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, it comprises most of the eastern half of the town.Hillmorton was historically a village in its own right, and was mentioned in the Domesday Book as land that belonged to Hugh de Grandmesnil, at one time a market was held in Hillmorton, and...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
where his father was a haberdasher, he studied at Rugby Free School and became an apprentice to an apothecary
Apothecary
Apothecary is a historical name for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients — a role now served by a pharmacist and some caregivers....
in London, supplying medicine to St. Bartholomew's Hospital. He is buried at St. Botolph Church.
Scientific work
He recorded many English folk-names for butterflies, also coining some himself, and wrote some of the first butterfly books that used English names in addition to Latin. He himself was not very proficient in Latin although he was a member of several scholarly societies and an educated gentleman.He named the White Admiral
White Admiral
-Butterflies:These butterfly species are commonly called as White Admirals:*In America it refers to two of the three subspecies of Limenitis arthemis*In Europe and Asia it refers to the White Admiral: Limenitis camilla...
butterfly, and gave the name Fritillary
Argynnini
Argynnini is a tribe of butterflies in the subfamily Heliconiinae, containing some of the fritillaries. This group has also been classified as subtribe Argynnina of the Heliconiini, or even as a distinct subfamily Argynninae in the Nymphalidae...
to another group of butterflies after the Latin word for a chequered dice box. He called skippers "hogs", swallowtails "Royal Williams", walls as "Enfield Eyes" and marbled whites as "Half-Mourners".
Petiver received many specimens, seeds and much other material from correspondents in the American and British colonies. After his death, his collections were purchased by Sir Hans Sloane for £4000, and some of it is now in the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
in London.
Works
- Gazophylacium (1702-6) - an illustrated catalogue of British insects
- Papilionum Brittaniae Icones (1717) - included 80 British butterflies
- 1698 An account of some Indian plants etc. with their names, descriptions and vertues; communicated in a letter from Mr. James Petiver...to Mr. Samuel Brown, surgeon at Fort St. George, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, London.
- 1700-1703 - An account of part of a collection of curious plants and drugs, lately given to the Royal Society of the East India Company, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society
External links
- http://dz-srv1.sub.uni-goettingen.de/cache/browse/AuthorZoologicaMonograph,WorkContainedP1.html--Digitised versions of Aquatilium Animalium Amboinæ, etc.;Gazophylacium naturae et artisand Pteri-Graphia Americana at GDZ Göttingen.