George Montagu (naturalist)

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For other people named George Montagu, see George Montagu (disambiguation).

George Montagu
Born1753
Lackham House, Wiltshire
Died20 June 1815
Kingsbridge, Devon
NationalityEnglish
Known forOrnithological Dictionary
Montagu's harrier
SpouseAnn Courtenay
Scientific career
FieldsOrnithology

George Montagu (1753 – 20 June 1815) was an English army officer and naturalist. He was known for his pioneering Ornithological Dictionary of 1802, which for the first time accurately defined the status of Britain's birds. He is remembered today for species such as the Montagu's harrier, named after him.

Life and work

George Montagu was born to James Montagu (1713–1790), who was great-great-grandson of Lord James Montagu (d. 1665), who was younger son of Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester.[citation needed]

Montagu is best known for his Ornithological Dictionary (1802) and his contributions to early knowledge of British birds. He showed that many previously accepted species were invalid, either because they were birds in summer or winter plumage or males and females of the same species. His study of harriers resulted in the discovery that the Montagu's harrier was breeding in southern England. He was also involved in the first British records of cirl bunting, whose breeding range in England is around his home in Devon,[1] as well as of cattle egret, little gull and gull-billed tern, and the discovery and description of the roseate tern.[2]

He was born at the family home of Lackham House in

Wiltshire Militia. In 1773 he married Ann Courtenay, niece of John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute. They settled at Alderton House in Wiltshire. In 1798 Montagu left his wife and moved to Prospect House, near Kingsbridge in Devon. It was here that he wrote his two-volume Ornithological Dictionary; or Alphabetical Synopsis of British Birds.[2] He subsequently entered a relationship with Elizabeth Dorville (daughter of Georg Wolff), who worked with him illustrating several of his scientific articles.[3][4] They went on to have four children together.[3]

Montagu had an interest in marine and freshwater natural history, and in 1803 published his Testacea Britannica, a History of British Marine, Land and Freshwater Shells. This described 470 species of

Montagu's blenny and Montagu's snapper (Lutjanidae). He also described the lesser horseshoe bat for the first time.[2] Montagu's ray, Montagu's sucker and Montagu's sea snail are also named after him.[5]

He died of

Linnean Society.[2]
Montagu's shell collection is held by the Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery in Exeter and the Natural History Museum in London.

Works

  • Ornithological Dictionary; or Alphabetical Synopsis of British Birds, J. White, 1802.
  • Supplement to the Ornithological Dictionary, or, Synopsis of British birds, S. Woolmer, 1813.

References

  1. ^ Moss, 2005. p. 18
  2. ^ a b c d Mearns, 1988.
  3. ^ a b "Biography of G. Montagu". conchology.be. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  4. ^ "DSI - Database of Scientific Illustrators". uni-stuttgart.de. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  5. doi:10.3366/jsbnh.1978.8.4.445
    .

Sources

External links
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