The zoological contributions of Andrew Smith (1797–1872) with an annotated bibliography and a numerical analysis of newly described animal species

Abstract

The army surgeon Andrew Smith studied South African fauna when he was the first Superintendent of the South African Museum in Cape Town. He visited some interior parts of the country, especially as commander of the Expedition for Exploring Central Africa in 1834–1836. His early work was published in rare and obscure journals printed in Cape Town, like the Cape Town Gazette and African Advertiser, the South African Commercial Advertiser and the South African Quarterly Journal. After his return to England in 1836, he exhibited animals found during his expeditions and he started to publish the Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa, which appeared in 28 parts between 1838 and 1849 and was splendidly illustrated by George Henry Ford. The bibliography of all works authored by Smith is reconstructed here in detail, including for the first time items published in the Kaapstads Courant en Afrikaansche Berigter. It is found that he was the author of 142 works between 1819 and 1849. In these works, he described many new species. The name Accipiter selbyii A.Smith, 1829 was rediscovered. Some of the new names are now considered unavailable for purposes of zoological nomenclature, due to incorrect spellings, names without proper descriptions or emendations. However, he is known to be the first author of 76 generic names (67 available, 9 unavailable) and 558 specific names (460 available and 98 unavailable). At least 257 specific names are still in current use for mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fishes. Andrew Smith was a true pioneer of South African zoology.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To Sandy. This paper is dedicated to the memory of my wife Sandra Mary Anthea Rookmaaker (b.Lawry), who passed away from heart failure in her 69th year (19 June 1947 to 17 September 2016). Through her love and caring nature, she has enhanced my studies. She is greatly missed.

My interest in the zoological work of Andrew Smith started many years ago, but has always been hampered by a lack of access to the relevant publications. Hence it is with great pleasure that I can now acknowledge some of the people who have helped me to trace them. First I must mention the great help of Sally MacRoberts and Jennifer Kimble of the Brenthurst Library, Johannesburg, in answering various enquiries as well as tracing microfilms of the Dutch edition of the South African Commercial Advertiser. Scans of the English edition of this rare newspaper were provided from the holding of the Bodleian Library (ex Rhodes House), Oxford by Lucy McCann, Senior Archivist. A copy of the Catalogue of the South African Museum (1837) in the Library of the University of Cambridge (shelfmark: S640.c.83.1) was kindly provided by Dr William Noblett. The special copy of A Catalogue of the South African Museum (1838) was found by Bryn Hyacinth, Museum Officer, Cuming Collection, London Borough of Southwark. A copy of the 1838 auction catalogue was accessed with the help of Paul Cooper at the Natural History Museum, London.

Other queries relating to the works of Andrew Smith and some secondary literature were kindly answered by staff of the Welcome Library in London; of the Senate House Library in London; by Annette le Roux, Collection Developer Archival Resources, Unisa Library, University of South Africa; by Marianne Gertenbach, South African Museums Association, Cape Town; by Rupert Baker, Library Manager at the Royal Society of London; by Cornelius Thomas and Louisa Verwey at the Cory Library, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, and by Lynda Brooks, Librarian of the Linnean Society of London. John van Wyhe of the University of Singapore helped with access to the Darwin Online website contents. I also thank Aaron Bauer, professor at Villanova University, for various data regarding his own research, as well as Martyn Low, Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum at the National University of Singapore. The rare works by Andrew Smith are accessible on the website of the Rhino Resource Center, which is aided by SOS Rhino, International Rhino Foundation, WWF (Areas) and Save the Rhino International.