Robert Damon (1814 – 4 May 1889) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

conchologist Conchology, from Ancient Greek κόγχος (''kónkhos''), meaning "cockle (bivalve), cockle", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is the study of mollusc shells. Conchology is one aspect of malacology, the study of mollus ...

and

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...

. Damon was at first a

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and

glove A glove is a garment covering the hand, with separate sheaths or openings for each finger including the thumb. Gloves protect and comfort hands against cold or heat, damage by friction, abrasion or chemicals, and disease; or in turn to provide a ...

r but with his son Robert Ferris Damon (1845–1929) he established a dealership in natural history specimens in Weymouth. The company supplied museums throughout North and South America, Australia and Europe with much Dorset geological material from the late 1840s to 1914. In 1860 Damon wrote ''Geology of Weymouth and the Isles of Portland; with Notes on the Natural History of the Coast and Neighbourhood'' which includes a map of the district, geological sections, plates of fossils, and coast views, in 1884 a second edition with archaeological notes was published. He also wrote (and published himself in 1857) ''A catalogue of the shells of Great Britain and Ireland with their synonyms and authorities''. Damon died aged 75 at his museum in Weymouth from heart disease. The species '' Amoria damonii'' Gray, and '' Paramelania damoni'' were named in his honor.

References

*H. Crosse & P. Fischer, 1890. "Nécrologie". ''Journal de Conchyliologie'' 38(1): 89-90.
''2,400 Years of Malacology''
Eugene V. Coan, Alan R. Kabat, Richard E. Petit

External links

The Mineralogical Record
1814 births 1889 deaths English palaeontologists People from Weymouth, Dorset Date of birth missing Fellows of the Geological Society of London {{Geologist-stub