28 Facts About Edward Blyth

Edward Blyth was an English zoologist who worked for most of his life in India as a curator of zoology at the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal in Calcutta.

Edward Blyth set about updating the museum's catalogues, publishing a Catalogue of the Birds of the Asiatic Society in 1849.

Edward Blyth took an interest in reading, but was often to be found spending time in the woods nearby.

Edward Blyth did not find the teaching satisfactory and began to work as a pharmacist in Tooting, but quit in 1837 to try his luck as an author and editor.

Edward Blyth was offered the position of curator at the museum of the Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1841.

Edward Blyth was so poor that he needed an advance of 100 pounds to make the trip to Calcutta.

In India, Blyth was poorly paid, with a salary of 300 pounds per year, and a house allowance of 4 pounds per month.

Edward Blyth married in 1854, and tried to supplement his income by writing under a pseudonym for the Indian Sporting Review, and traded live animals between India and Britain to wealthy collectors in both countries.

Edward Blyth found the ornithologist George Robert Gray, keeper at the British Museum, uncooperative in helping him with his ornithological research far away in India.

Edward Blyth complained to the trustees of the museum but it was dismissed with several character references in favour of Gray including Charles Darwin.

Mr Edward Blyth, who is rightly called the Father of Indian Ornithology, was by far the most important contributor to our knowledge of the Birds of India.

Edward Blyth however died in December 1857, a shock which led to his health deteriorating from then on.

Edward Blyth wrote three articles on variation, discussing the effects of artificial selection and describing the process in nature as restoring organisms in the wild to their archetype.

In February 1855 Charles Darwin, seeking information on variations in domesticated animals of various countries, wrote to Edward Blyth who was "much gratified to learn that a subject in which I have always felt the deepest interest has been undertaken by one so competent to treat of it in all its bearings" and they corresponded on the subject.

Edward Blyth was among the first to recognise the significance of Alfred Russel Wallace's paper "On the Law which has regulated the introduction of Species" and brought it to the notice of Darwin in a letter written in Calcutta on 8 December 1855:.

Edward Blyth cited a number of rare words, similarities of phrasing, and the use of similar examples, which he regarded as evidence of Darwin's debt to Blyth.

The way Edward Blyth himself argued about the modification of species can be illustrated by an extract concerning the adaptations of carnivorous mammals:.

John Wilkins indicates that Edward Blyth considered that species had "invariable distinctions" establishing their integrity, and so was opposed to transmutation of species as if it occurred, "we should seek in vain for those constant and invariable distinctions which are found to obtain".

In contrast to Eiseley's claim that Edward Blyth felt that Darwin had plagiarised the idea, Edward Blyth remained a valued correspondent and friend of Darwin's after the idea was published.

Edward Blyth returned to London on 9 March 1863 to recover from ill health.

Edward Blyth was to get a full year's pay for this sick leave.

Edward Blyth however had to borrow money from John Henry Gurney and continued his animal trade.

Edward Blyth was a corresponding member of the Zoological Society and was elected an extraordinary member of the British Ornithological Union, nominated by Alfred Newton.

Edward Blyth later took to drinking and was once held for assaulting a cab driver.

Edward Blyth died of heart disease on 27 December 1873 and is buried in a family grave in Highgate Cemetery.

Edward Blyth suggested the idea of replacing the original clutch with another clutch but with a single foreign egg and suggested based on his own results that either the foreign eggs would be discarded or that the birds would abandon the nest.

Edward Blyth examined the patterns of moult in various bird groups.

Edward Blyth edited the section on "Mammalia, Birds, and Reptiles" in the English edition of Cuvier's Animal Kingdom published in 1840, inserting many observations, corrections, and references of his own.