William Joseph Rainbow
Encyclopedia
William Joseph Rainbow was an entomologist and arachnologist whose work includes the first catalogue of Australian spiders.
in the Royal Marines
, so his education was in a number of those port towns and in Edinburgh. He emigrated to New Zealand
in 1873, where he wrote for John Ballance
's Wanganui Herald. Rainbow's early interest in natural history was assisted by Ballance, who prompted him to build a career in the field.
In 1883 he moved to Sydney, Australia and married Arriette Dainty. He continued to contribute to newspapers and journals, including The Sydney Morning Herald
, Daily Telegraph, and Evening News, then worked for the Government Printing Office until 1895; in this year he took up a position at the Australian Museum
as an entomologist.
Rainbow was a founder of the Naturalists' Society of New South Wales, serving as its president.
He was a member of the Linnean Society of New South Wales
and Council of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales
. He was made a fellow of the Entomological Society of London and Linnean Society of London
, and a member of the Société Entomologique de France
.
He died in Sydney on the 21st of November 1919, having suffered several years of tragic losses. His second son, Sergeant Oscar A. Rainbow, was killed in World War I, an event that seems to precipitated the death of Arriette in 1917. His eldest son was William A. Rainbow, a librarian at the Australian Museum. Rainbow's death was a few days before his youngest, Eric, also a Sergeant, returned from active service.
. His catalogue of Australian orb-weaver spider
s, A Census of Australian Araneidae, listing 1102 species, was produced in 1911; it is noted as a significant advancement in the much ignored spiders of Australia
. His works included papers on the spiders found in all the Australian states and the Pacific region. He also wrote two guide books, A guide to the study of Australian butterflies (T.C. Lothian, Melbourne, 1907) and Mosquitoes; their Habits and Distribution.
He left an incomplete manuscript, "Spiders from Molangul, S.E. Queensland" that was accompanied by his sketches.
His collection of specimens is maintained by the Australian Museum; this includes a collection of Australian Acari, mites and ticks, whose study was begun by Rainbow.
The species Trittame rainbowi commemorates this author's contribution to the field of Australian arachnids.
The author citation
Rainbow refers to this entomologist and arachnologist when citing a biological classification
.
Life
Rainbow was born in 1856 in Yorkshire, England. His father was a Warrant OfficerWarrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
in the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
, so his education was in a number of those port towns and in Edinburgh. He emigrated to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1873, where he wrote for John Ballance
John Ballance
John Ballance served as the 14th Premier of New Zealand at the end of the 19th century, and was the founder of the Liberal Party .-Early life:...
's Wanganui Herald. Rainbow's early interest in natural history was assisted by Ballance, who prompted him to build a career in the field.
In 1883 he moved to Sydney, Australia and married Arriette Dainty. He continued to contribute to newspapers and journals, including The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
, Daily Telegraph, and Evening News, then worked for the Government Printing Office until 1895; in this year he took up a position at the Australian Museum
Australian Museum
The Australian Museum is the oldest museum in Australia, with an international reputation in the fields of natural history and anthropology. It features collections of vertebrate and invertebrate zoology, as well as mineralogy, palaeontology, and anthropology...
as an entomologist.
Rainbow was a founder of the Naturalists' Society of New South Wales, serving as its president.
He was a member of the Linnean Society of New South Wales
Linnean Society of New South Wales
The Linnean Society of New South Wales promotes the Cultivation and Study of the Science of Natural History in all its Branches and was founded in Sydney, New South Wales in 1874 and incorporated in 1884. It succeeded the Entomological Society of New South Wales, founded in 1862 and folded in...
and Council of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales
Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales
The Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales was formed in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in 1879 as the New South Wales Zoological Society. A Royal Charter was granted in September, 1908, leading to a change to the current name on 10 February 1909...
. He was made a fellow of the Entomological Society of London and Linnean Society of London
Linnean Society of London
The Linnean Society of London is the world's premier society for the study and dissemination of taxonomy and natural history. It publishes a zoological journal, as well as botanical and biological journals...
, and a member of the Société Entomologique de France
Société entomologique de France
The Société entomologique de France, or French Entomological Society, is devoted to the study of insects. It was founded in 1832.The society was created by eighteen Parisian entomologists on January 31, 1832...
.
He died in Sydney on the 21st of November 1919, having suffered several years of tragic losses. His second son, Sergeant Oscar A. Rainbow, was killed in World War I, an event that seems to precipitated the death of Arriette in 1917. His eldest son was William A. Rainbow, a librarian at the Australian Museum. Rainbow's death was a few days before his youngest, Eric, also a Sergeant, returned from active service.
Works
During the period from 1893 until his death, he described around 200 species of spiders, and wrote 71 papers, around 50 of these on the subject of arachnologyArachnology
Arachnology is the scientific study of spiders and related animals such as scorpions, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, collectively called arachnids. However, the study of ticks and mites is sometimes not included in arachnology, but is called Acarology...
. His catalogue of Australian orb-weaver spider
Orb-weaver spider
The "typical" orb-weaver spiders are the most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped webs often found in gardens, fields and forests...
s, A Census of Australian Araneidae, listing 1102 species, was produced in 1911; it is noted as a significant advancement in the much ignored spiders of Australia
Spiders of Australia
Spiders of AustraliaThere are numerous highly venomous species, including the notorious Sydney funnel-web and redback spiders, whose bites can be deadly.-External links:* at the Australian Museum*...
. His works included papers on the spiders found in all the Australian states and the Pacific region. He also wrote two guide books, A guide to the study of Australian butterflies (T.C. Lothian, Melbourne, 1907) and Mosquitoes; their Habits and Distribution.
He left an incomplete manuscript, "Spiders from Molangul, S.E. Queensland" that was accompanied by his sketches.
His collection of specimens is maintained by the Australian Museum; this includes a collection of Australian Acari, mites and ticks, whose study was begun by Rainbow.
The species Trittame rainbowi commemorates this author's contribution to the field of Australian arachnids.
The author citation
Author citation (zoology)
In zoological nomenclature, author citation refers to listing the person who first makes a scientific name of a taxon available. This is done in a scientific publication while fulfilling the formal requirements under the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, hereinafter termed "the Code"...
Rainbow refers to this entomologist and arachnologist when citing a biological classification
Biological classification
Biological classification, or scientific classification in biology, is a method to group and categorize organisms by biological type, such as genus or species. Biological classification is part of scientific taxonomy....
.
External links
- Rainbow bibliography in Musgrave, 1920, Rec. Aust. Mus. 13(3): 87–92