Henry Augustus Pilsbry
Encyclopedia
Henry Augustus Pilsbry was an American biologist
, malacologist and carcinologist, among other areas of study. He was a dominant presence in many fields of invertebrate taxonomy for the better part of a century. For much of his career, his authority with respect to the classification of certain substantial groups of organisms was unchallenged: barnacle
s, chiton
s, North American terrestrial mollusks
, and others.
, and received the Bachelor of Science degree there in 1882, but did not immediately find employment in his field of interest. Instead, Henry Pilsbry worked for publishing firms and newspapers for the next several years, but devoted most of his spare time to the study of mollusks.
In 1887, he found employment in New York City
as a proofreader, but soon met George Washington Tryon
, the resident expert on mollusks at the Academy of Natural Sciences
of Philadelphia, and architect and author of the on-going multi-volume Manual of Concology. This meeting led, within a few months, to Tryon's hiring Pilsbry as an assistant. He was, no doubt, impressed by the young man's talents as a proofreader, considerable expertise in technical illustration, and especially by his undeniable enthusiasm for the study of mollusks and substantial knowledge of the subject.
Less than three months after Pilsbry began his new job, George Tryon died and his new assistant, only 25 years old, perhaps to the surprise of some, inherited the titles of "Conservator of the Conchology Section" and "Editor" of the Manual of Conchology.
Pilsbry soon proved capable of prodigious efforts, and his scientific output was remarkable. During the next five years he produced hundreds of detailed pages of the Manual of Conchology, preparing many of the plates himself, and founded The Nautilus
, an influential journal of malacology which has survived into the 21st century. He also married during this period, to Adeline Avery. His college, the University of Iowa
, honored him with a Doctor of Science degree in 1899 (and he later received two other honorary doctorates: University of Pennsylvania
, 1940, and Temple University
, 1941).
For almost all of the next 57 years of his long life, Henry Pilsbry spent his hours writing scientific papers, over 3,000 of them, mostly while at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Most of his longest papers were published by the Academy. The shorter ones could usually be found in The Nautilus. The large majority of his work carried only his name, although there were sometimes joint or junior authors, some of whom were more patron than scientist. It is notable that Pilsbry did not always confine himself to the several areas of study with which he was already closely associated, but rather would sometimes stray into other fields of science, from geology and paleontology to the taxonomy of brachiopod
s.
His field work provided a steady supply of new specimens for study, dissection, and illustration, and a seemingly endless array of new species to name. Pilsbry named over 5,000 organisms; a full list was published in a 218-page volume. Pilsbry performed extensive amounts of field work, and was clearly an expert in dealing with the outdoors, no matter the conditions. He collected mollusks over virtually the entire United States, and in an atlas of countries: Argentina
, Australia
, Bahamas, Cocos Islands, Cuba
, Galapagos Islands
, Guatemala
, Marquesas Islands
, Mexico
, Panama
, Peru
, and other locations as well. His intellectual reach extended even further, through joint efforts with other workers: especially notably Africa
with Joseph Bequaert
and the Japan
ese region with Yoichiro Hirase
.
Pilsbry suffered a heart attack in late 1957 while working at the Philadelphia Academy. He seemed to recover from this serious occurrence, but died at his winter home in Florida, about a month and a half later, from a similar event.
Henry Augustus Pilsbry is buried in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
, at St. Asaph's Church.
Biologist
A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
, malacologist and carcinologist, among other areas of study. He was a dominant presence in many fields of invertebrate taxonomy for the better part of a century. For much of his career, his authority with respect to the classification of certain substantial groups of organisms was unchallenged: barnacle
Barnacle
A barnacle is a type of arthropod belonging to infraclass Cirripedia in the subphylum Crustacea, and is hence related to crabs and lobsters. Barnacles are exclusively marine, and tend to live in shallow and tidal waters, typically in erosive settings. They are sessile suspension feeders, and have...
s, chiton
Chiton
Chitons are small to large, primitive marine molluscs in the class Polyplacophora.There are 900 to 1,000 extant species of chitons in the class, which was formerly known as Amphineura....
s, North American terrestrial mollusks
Mollusca
The Mollusca , common name molluscs or mollusksSpelled mollusks in the USA, see reasons given in Rosenberg's ; for the spelling mollusc see the reasons given by , is a large phylum of invertebrate animals. There are around 85,000 recognized extant species of molluscs. Mollusca is the largest...
, and others.
Biography
Pilsbry (frequently misspelled Pilsbury) spent his childhood and youth in Iowa. He was called "Harry" Pilsbry then, and developed an early fascination with the limited variety of mollusks he was able to find. He attended the University of IowaUniversity of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
, and received the Bachelor of Science degree there in 1882, but did not immediately find employment in his field of interest. Instead, Henry Pilsbry worked for publishing firms and newspapers for the next several years, but devoted most of his spare time to the study of mollusks.
In 1887, he found employment in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as a proofreader, but soon met George Washington Tryon
George Washington Tryon
George Washington Tryon, Jr. was an American malacologist who worked at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia.- Biography :George Washington Tryon was the son of Edward K. Tryon and Adeline Savidt...
, the resident expert on mollusks at the Academy of Natural Sciences
Academy of Natural Sciences
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, formerly Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, is the oldest natural science research institution and museum in the New World...
of Philadelphia, and architect and author of the on-going multi-volume Manual of Concology. This meeting led, within a few months, to Tryon's hiring Pilsbry as an assistant. He was, no doubt, impressed by the young man's talents as a proofreader, considerable expertise in technical illustration, and especially by his undeniable enthusiasm for the study of mollusks and substantial knowledge of the subject.
Less than three months after Pilsbry began his new job, George Tryon died and his new assistant, only 25 years old, perhaps to the surprise of some, inherited the titles of "Conservator of the Conchology Section" and "Editor" of the Manual of Conchology.
Pilsbry soon proved capable of prodigious efforts, and his scientific output was remarkable. During the next five years he produced hundreds of detailed pages of the Manual of Conchology, preparing many of the plates himself, and founded The Nautilus
The Nautilus (journal)
The Nautilus is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering research in malacology. Hence its scope includes all aspects of the biology, ecology, and systematics of mollusks....
, an influential journal of malacology which has survived into the 21st century. He also married during this period, to Adeline Avery. His college, the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
, honored him with a Doctor of Science degree in 1899 (and he later received two other honorary doctorates: University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, 1940, and Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
, 1941).
For almost all of the next 57 years of his long life, Henry Pilsbry spent his hours writing scientific papers, over 3,000 of them, mostly while at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Most of his longest papers were published by the Academy. The shorter ones could usually be found in The Nautilus. The large majority of his work carried only his name, although there were sometimes joint or junior authors, some of whom were more patron than scientist. It is notable that Pilsbry did not always confine himself to the several areas of study with which he was already closely associated, but rather would sometimes stray into other fields of science, from geology and paleontology to the taxonomy of brachiopod
Brachiopod
Brachiopods are a phylum of marine animals that have hard "valves" on the upper and lower surfaces, unlike the left and right arrangement in bivalve molluscs. Brachiopod valves are hinged at the rear end, while the front can be opened for feeding or closed for protection...
s.
His field work provided a steady supply of new specimens for study, dissection, and illustration, and a seemingly endless array of new species to name. Pilsbry named over 5,000 organisms; a full list was published in a 218-page volume. Pilsbry performed extensive amounts of field work, and was clearly an expert in dealing with the outdoors, no matter the conditions. He collected mollusks over virtually the entire United States, and in an atlas of countries: Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Bahamas, Cocos Islands, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Galapagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, Marquesas Islands
Marquesas Islands
The Marquesas Islands enana and Te Fenua `Enata , both meaning "The Land of Men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. The Marquesas are located at 9° 00S, 139° 30W...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, and other locations as well. His intellectual reach extended even further, through joint efforts with other workers: especially notably Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
with Joseph Bequaert
Joseph Charles Bequaert
Joseph Charles Bequaert was an American naturalist of Belgian origin, born 24 May 1886 in Torhout and died on 12 January 1982 in Amherst ....
and the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese region with Yoichiro Hirase
Yoichirō Hirase
was a Japanese malacologist. His son, Shintarō Hirase, was also a malacologist.Majority of his valuable collection of molluscs have been destroyed during the World War II.- Bibliography :* . 貝類手引草 .- External links :* at Internet Archive...
.
Pilsbry suffered a heart attack in late 1957 while working at the Philadelphia Academy. He seemed to recover from this serious occurrence, but died at his winter home in Florida, about a month and a half later, from a similar event.
Henry Augustus Pilsbry is buried in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
Bala Cynwyd is a community in Lower Merion Township which is located on the Main Line in southeastern Pennsylvania, bordering the western edge of Philadelphia at US Route 1 . It was originally two separate towns, Bala and Cynwyd, but is commonly treated as a single community...
, at St. Asaph's Church.
Manual of Conchology
Pilsbry was an assistant was of George Washington Tryon for two years, from 1887 to 1888. After Tryon's death in 1888, Pilsbry became an editor of an ongoing multi-volume Manual of Conchology. He is credited (at title page) in Manual of Conchology since volume 12 from 1890.Selected major works
- Pilsbry H. A. (14 May 1889). "New and little known American mollusks, no. I." Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 41: 81-89, pl. 3.
- Pilsbry H. A. (25 February 1890). "New and little known American mollusks, no. II." Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 41: 411-416, pl. 12.
- Pilsbry H. A. 21 (October 1890). "New and little known American mollusks, no. 3." Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 42: 296-302, pl. 5.
- Pilsbry H. A. (1895). Catalogue of the Marine Mollusks of Japan, with Descriptions of New Species, and Notes on Others Collected by Frederick Stearns. Detroit: F. Stearns. 196 p. [includes 30 species of modern brachiopods]
- Pilsbry H. A. (1900). "Mollusca of the Great Smoky Mountains". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 52: 110-150.
- Pilsbry H. A. (1900). "Note on Polynesian and East Indian Pupidae". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 52: 431-433.
- Pilsbry H. A. (1902). "New land Mollusca from Japan and the Bonin Islands". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 54: 25-32.
- Pilsbry H. A. (1902). "New land Mollusca from Idaho". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 54: 593.
- Pilsbry, H. A., (1904). New Japanese marine Mollusca: Gastropoda. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 56
- Pilsbry H. A. (1905). "Mollusca of the Southwestern States, I: Urocoptidae; Helicidae of Arizona and New Mexico". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 57: 211-290.
- Pilsbry H. A. & Y. Hirase. (1905). "Catalogue of the Land and Fresh Water Molluscs of Taiwan (Formosa), with description of new species". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 57: 720-752.
- Pilsbry H. A. (1907). "The Barnacles (Cirripedia) Contained in the Collections of the U.S. National Museum". Bul. United States National Museum 60. 122 p.
- Pilsbry H. A. & Ferriss J. H.James FerrissJames Henry Ferriss was an amateur conchologist. According to Henry Augustus Pilsbry, Ferriss was "the fore-most of American landshell collectors... as a collector he has probably never been surpassed."...
(1907). "Mollusca of the Ozarkian Fauna". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 58: 529-567. - Pilsbry H. A. & Ferriss J. H. (1910). "Mollusca of the Southwestern States, III: The Huachuca Mountains, Arizona". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 61: 495-516.
- Pilsbry H. A. & Ferriss J. H. (1910). "Mollusca of the Southwestern States: IV. The Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 62: 44-147.
- Pilsbry H. A. (1911). Non-marine mollusca of Patagonia. Princeton: The University.
- Pilsbry H. A. (1912). "A study of the variation and zoogeography of LiguusLiguusLiguus is a genus of large tropical air-breathing land snails, more specifically arboreal or tree snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Orthalicidae....
in Florida". J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 15(2nd ser.): 429-471. - Pilsbry H. A. (1915). "Mollusca of the Southwestern States, VI: The Hacheta Grande, Florida, and Peloncillo MountainsPeloncillo Mountains (Hidalgo County)The Peloncillo Mountains of Hidalgo County, , is a major 35-mi long mountain range of southwest New Mexico's Hidalgo County, and also part of the New Mexico Bootheel region. The range continues to the northwest into Arizona as the Peloncillo Mountains of Cochise County, Arizona...
, New Mexico". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 68: 323-350. - Pilsbry H. A. & Ferriss J. H. (1915). "Mollusca of the Southwestern States VII: The Dragoon, Mule, Santa Rita, Baboquivari, and Tucson Ranges, Arizona". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 68: 363-418.
- Pilsbry H. A. (1916). "The Sessile Barnacles (Cirripedia) Contained in the Collections of the U.S. National Museum, including a monograph of the American species". Bul. United States National Museum 93: 366.
- Pilsbry H. A. & Ferriss J. H. (1917). "Mollusca of the Southwestern States VIII: The Black Range, New Mexico". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 69: 83-107.
- Pilsbry H. A. & Ferriss J. H. (1919). "Mollusca of the Southwestern States IX: The Santa CatalinaSanta Catalina MountainsThe Santa Catalina Mountains, commonly referred to as the Catalina Mountains, are located north, and northeast of Tucson, Arizona, United States, on Tucson's north perimeter. The mountain range is the most prominent in the Tucson area, with the highest average elevation...
, RinconRincon MountainsThe Rincon Mountains are a significant mountain range east of Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, in the United States. The Rincon Mountains are one of five mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson valley...
, TortolitaTortolita MountainsThe Tortolita Mountains are a minor mountain range located northwest of Tucson, Arizona, USA. With a peak elevation of 4,652 feet , the Tortolita Mountains are situated at the northern boundaries of Oro Valley and Marana, two suburbs of Tucson...
and Galiuro MountainsGaliuro MountainsThe Galiuro Mountains are a large sky island mountain range of southeast Arizona, USA. It is a northerly mountain range in the Madrean Sky Islands region of southeast Arizona, northern Sonora, Northern Mexico, and extreme southwest, bootheel New Mexico....
. X. The mountains of the Gila headwaters". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 70: 282-333. - Pilsbry H. A. & Ferriss J. H. (1923). "Mollusca of the Southwestern States, XI - From the Tucson Range to Ajo, and mountain ranges between the San Padro and Santa Cruz rivers, Arizona". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 75: 47-103.
- Pilsbry H. A. & Bequaert J.Joseph Charles BequaertJoseph Charles Bequaert was an American naturalist of Belgian origin, born 24 May 1886 in Torhout and died on 12 January 1982 in Amherst ....
(1927). "The Aquatic Mollusks of the Belgian Congo. With a geographical and ecological account of Congo malacology". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural HistoryBulletin of the American Museum of Natural HistoryThe Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History is a peer-reviewed scientific journal in the fields of zoology, paleontology, and geology...
53(2): 69-602. PDF. - Pilsbry H. A. (1934). "Zoological Results of the Dolan West China Expedition of 1931, Part II, Mollusks". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 86: 5-28.
- Pilsbry H. A. (1939). Land Mollusca of North America north of Mexico vol. I part 1. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia. pp. 1-574.
- Pilsbry H. A. (1940). Land Mollusca of North America north of Mexico vol. I part 2. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia. pp. 575-994.
- Pilsbry H. A. (1946). Land Mollusca of North America north of Mexico vol. II part 1. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia. pp. 1-520.
- Pilsbry H. A. (1948). Land Mollusca of North America north of Mexico vol. II part 2. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia. pp. 521-1113.
- Pilsbry H. A. (1948). "Inland Mollusks of Northern Mexico. I. The genera HumboldtianaHumboldtianaHumboldtiana is a genus of American air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Humboldtianidae.-Anatomy:Snails in this genus create and use love darts as part of their mating behavior....
, SonorellaSonorellaSonorella is a genus of land snails, a gastropod in the Helminthoglyptidae family.- Species :Species in the genus Sonorella include:* Sonorella allynsmithi* Sonorella christenseni* Sonorella eremita - San Xavier talussnail...
, OreohelixOreohelixOreohelix is a genus of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Oreohelicidae.Oreohelix is the type genus for the family Oreohelicidae.- Species :Species within the genus Oreohelix include:...
and AshmunellaAshmunellaAshmunella is a genus of small, air-breathing, land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Polygyridae.-Species:Species and subspecies within the genus Ashmunella include:*Ashmunella levettei...
". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 100: 185-203. JSTOR - Pilsbry H. A. (1953). "Inland Mollusca of Northern Mexico. II. Urocoptidae, Pupillidae, Strobilopsidae, Valloniidae, and Cionellidae". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 105: 133-167. JSTOR
External links
- Biography of Henry Augustus Pilsbry
- Henry Augustus Pilsbry chronology
- photo of Henry Augustus Pilsbry taken by The Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
and later published in The NautilusThe Nautilus (journal)The Nautilus is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering research in malacology. Hence its scope includes all aspects of the biology, ecology, and systematics of mollusks....
71(3): plate 7.