A A Colonial Naturalist: Henry Suter's Life of Discovery and Hardship on New Zealand
Author(s): Pamela Hyde
Henry Suter is one of the forgotten German-speaking naturalists who made it their life's work to discover and describe New Zealand's flora and fauna. Leaving behind a failed business in Switzerland, Suter came to New Zealand with his wife and seven children in 1887 expecting to find employment in science. Instead, he found poverty and despair. He also found an absorbing natural environment and a vibrant scientific community. Suter never managed to secure permanent employment but found short-term work in New Zealand museums and became a prolific trader of items desired by overseas collectors. While he is best known for his outstanding work on molluscs he also discovered new species of plants, lizards and spiders. Suter was regularly in touch with his contemporaries, James Hector, William Colenso, Frederick Hutton, Thomas Cheeseman, Augustus Hamilton and others who assisted him, despite the difficulties, to make a life and a living in science. This book provides intriguing insights into science in 19th and 20th century New Zealand.
Product Information
books.scoop.co.nz/2017/11/13/pioneer-biologist/
Pamela Hyde, graduated from Victoria University, Wellington with a PhD in medical sociology. She has presented and published papers on sociological, medical education and history of science topics, the latter related to Henry Suter of whom she is a descendent. Her research on Suter has drawn on archives of letters and documents held in New Zealand and overseas museums and took her to Switzerland and Germany to uncover Suter's early life and his contacts with overseas naturalists.
Foreword Acknowledgements 1 Leaving 2 Beginning 3 Among the mountains 4 Science and hardship 5 An Australian connection 6 Work and wages 7 Trading 8 In charge at Auckland Museum 9 A most cherished wish 10 A critique 11 Science friction 12 A legacy Suter's collectors Publications -Henry Suter Mollusca named by Henry Suter (marine, living and fossils) Mollusca named by Henry Suter (non-marine, living) Unpublished sources- correspondence and documents Endotes Bibliography Index â
General Fields
- :
- : Sphenodon
- : Sphenodon
- : November 2017
- : 23mm X 20mm
- : New Zealand
- : books
Special Fields
- : Pamela Hyde
- : Paperback
- : Paperback
- : 300
- : 300
- : 46 colour, 50 black and white
- : 46 colour, 50 black and white