Martial Étienne Mulsant (2 March 1797,
Marnand, Rhône – 4 November 1880) was a French
entomologist
Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...
and
ornithologist
Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related discip ...
.
Biography
Initially employed in commerce, Mulsant wrote ''Lettres à Julie sur l'entomologie, suivies d'une description méthodique de la plus grande partie des insectes de France, ornées de planches''... ("Letters to Julie on entomology, followed by a methodical description of the greatest part of the insects of France with, decorated plates..."), dedicated to his future wife, Julie Ronchivole.
In 1817, he became
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of
Saint-Jean-la-Bussière, where his parents had property. In 1827 he became, following his father and grandfather, a justice of the peace. He settled in
Lyon
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
in 1830 and in 1839, he obtained a post of assistant
librarian
A librarian is a person who professionally works managing information. Librarians' common activities include providing access to information, conducting research, creating and managing information systems, creating, leading, and evaluating educat ...
and then, in 1843, a post of professor of
natural history
Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...
in a college; a post he occupied until 1873.
In 1840, he published ''Histoire naturelle des Coléoptères de France'', ("Natural History of the
Coleoptera
Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...
of France") with various other entomologists :
Antoine Casimir Marguerite Eugène Foudras (1783–1859) and
Claudius Rey
Claudius Rey (2 September 1817, in Lille – 31 January 1895, in Lille) was a French entomologist.
Rey’s family owned a prosperous printing works which went bankrupt in 1847. One of his uncles, the owner of a vineyard producing Morgon, offere ...
(1817–1895), his former pupil. He also had as pupils
Francisque Guillebeau (1821–1897) and
Valéry Mayet (1839–1909). His 1846 and 1850 monographs on the subject formed the basis for much of modern
ladybug
Coccinellidae () is a widespread family of small beetles. They are commonly known as ladybugs in North America and ladybirds in the United Kingdom; "lady" refers to mother Mary. Entomologists use the names ladybird beetles or lady beetles ...
taxonomy.
With
Jean Baptist Édouard Verreaux (1810–1868), he wrote ''Histoire naturelle des punaises de France'', ("Natural History of the
bugs of France") between 1865 and 1879. He also published school texts on
zoology
Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...
and
geology
Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...
. He was, for many years, president of the ''Société linnéenne de Lyon''. He was also interested in birds, publishing several studies and taking part in the work of the commission on hunting small birds. In 1868, he wrote ''Lettres à Julie sur l'ornithologie'' ("Letters to Julie on ornithology"), a splendid work on the ''oiseaux-mouches de 1874 à 1877''.
A monumental research work was published by Etienne Mulsant, titled ''Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux-Mouches, ou Colibris constituant la famille des Trochilïdes'' (published in 1874–77). It contained 4 text volumes, with a separate Atlas of colored plates in imperial quarto size (lg.4to) by Lyon-Geneve-Bale. The Atlas is illustrated with 120 exceptional, fine, large hand-colored
lithograph
Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the miscibility, immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by ...
plates of the known species of
hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the Family (biology), biological family Trochilidae. With approximately 366 species and 113 genus, genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but most species are found in Cen ...
s. Copies of this illustrated Atlas on hummingbirds are extremely rare.
The "hummingbird of Mulsant", ''Acestrura mulsanti'' (now ''
Chaetocercus mulsant''), was named for him by
Jules Bourcier
Claude Marie Jules Bourcier (19 February 1797 – 9 March 1873) was a French naturalist and expert on hummingbirds.[Prosopo ...]
in 1842. The ladybug genus ''
Mulsantina'' is also named in his honor.
See also
*
Bucolus fourneti - described by Mulsant in 1850.
References
External links
ZoologicaGöttingen State and University Library
The Göttingen State and University Library ( or SUB Göttingen) is the library for Göttingen University as well as for the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and is the state library for the German State of Lower Saxony. One of the largest German ...
Species des coléoptères trimères sécuripalpes (1850)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mulsant, Etienne
1797 births
1880 deaths
People from Rhône (department)
Legitimists
French entomologists
French ornithologists
Mayors of places in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes