13 Facts About Edmund Selous

Edmund Selous was a British ornithologist and writer.

Edmund Selous was the younger brother of big-game hunter Frederick Selous.

Edmund Selous left without a degree and was admitted to the Middle Temple just over a year later and was called to the bar in 1881.

Edmund Selous practised as a barrister only briefly before retiring to pursue the study of natural history and literature.

Edmund Selous married Fanny Margaret Maxwell on 13 January 1886.

Edmund Selous started as a conventional naturalist, but developed a hatred of the killing of animals for scientific study and was a pioneer of bird-watching as a method of scientific study.

Edmund Selous was a strong proponent of non-destructive bird-study as opposed to the collection of skins and eggs.

Edmund Selous was a solitary man and was not well known in ornithological circles.

Edmund Selous avoided both the company of ornithologists and reading their observations so as to base his conclusions entirely on his own observations.

Edmund Selous believed that every observed detail should be published and produced a number of ornithological books and papers as well as several other books on popular natural history and a natural history series for children.

Edmund Selous published a variety of books on natural history, especially birds, ranging from children's books to more serious ornithological works.

Edmund Selous travelled to southern Africa and India in his youth and later to Shetland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Iceland to observe birds there.

Edmund Selous continued bird-watching and writing until near the end of his life.