| AdminHistory | William Yarrell (1784 - 1856) was an English zoologist.
Yarrell was born on 3 June 1784 in Duke Street, St James, Westminster to Francis Yarrell and his wife Sarah (née Blane). He was educated at Dr Nicholson's school in Ealing. In 1802 he became a clerk with the Herries, Farquhar and Co. bank. In 1803 he and his cousin, Edward Jones, joined his father's business, a newspaper agency and bookshop. Yarrell was one of the original members of the Zoological Society and was also a founder of (what later became) the Royal Entomological Society of London and served as their Treasurer. He also worked as the Treasurer of the Linnean Society, of which he was a member from 1825. He was also a member of the Royal Institution. He published widely, including writing about British Fishes and British Birds. He died on 1 September 1856 in Great Yarmouth. |
Jonathan Couch (1789 - 1870) was a British naturalist.
Couch was born on 15 March 1789 to Richard and Philippa Couch in Polperro, Cornwall. He received a classical education and worked with local medical men, before entering Guy's and St. Thomas's hospital in 1808. He returned to Polperro and worked there as the doctor until his death in 1870. Couch was a keen natural historian, with a particular interest in ichthyology (the study of fishes) and he gathered a large number of fish specimens, using local fishermen to assist him.
He wrote a number of publications, including 'Cornish Fauna', and 'A History of the Fishes of the British Islands', with coloured illustrations from his own drawings, (4 vols., London, 1860-65). He was married twice and had 3 sons. He died on 13 April 1870. |
| Description | Annotated copy of M.E. Bloch's 'Ichthyologie ou Histoire Naturelle des Poissons' [Translation: 'Ichthyology or Natural History of Fishes'], Berlin, (1796) parts 5 and 6, 'Planches des Poissons' [Translation: Plates of fishes] containing 216 colour plates of different types of fish (numbered 1-216). Includes some pencil annotations [thought to be] by William Yarrell, as well as notes and index by Jonathan Couch at the start of the volume. Types of fish depicted include:
- Rotengle (Common Rudd)
- Roach
- Carp (various kinds)
- Vimba
- Dobula
- Chub
- Aspius
- Bleak
- Minow
- Gudgeon
- Sperlin
- Bitter-Carp
- Baller-Carp
- Blicca
- Crucian
- Gibel
- Bream
- Tench
- Golden Tinch
- Carp
- Royal-Carp
- Barbel
- Salmon (various kinds)
- Trut [Salmon Trout]
- Trout
- Grayling
- Gwiniad
- Great Marena
- Small Marena
- Smelt
- Herring
- Sardine
- Anchovy
- Schad
- Loach (various kinds)
- Pike
- Gar
- Sheat-fish
- Longbearded
- Crack-Beley
- Goby (various kinds)
- Bullhead (various kinds)
- Father Lascher
- Doree
- Plaise [Plaice]
- Pearl
- Flounder (various kinds)
- Sole
- Dab
- Fletan
- Turbot
- Pike-Perch
- Stickleback (various kinds)
- Ruffe
- Mackrel [Mackerel]
- Tunny [Tuna]
- Scad
- Striped Surmulet
- Gurnard (various kinds)
- Tub-Fish
- Common Weever
- Hadock [Haddock]
- Dorsch
- Cod
- Whiting
- Coal Fish
- Toad Codfish
- Pollack
- Ling
- Burbot
- Butterfish
- Bulcard
- Viviparous Blenny
- Eel
- Wolf Fish
- Embryo of a shark
- Launce
- Sword-Fish
- Lamprey (various kinds)
- Pride
- Skate
- Sharp Nosed Ray
- Fire Flaire
- Thornbak
- Rough Ray
- Picked Dog [Fish]
- Blue Shark
- Sea Devil
- Sturgeon
- Rusfish Sturgeon
- Lump
- Sea Adder
- Pipe Fish
- Needle Fish
- Porpesse [Porpoise]
- Gold-Fish [Goldfish]
- Orf
- Dace
- Spirling
- Hatchet-Belly
- Salveling
- Umble
- Charr
- Zingel
- Blue Goby
- Horned Bull Head
- Sea Dragon
- Sea Hors [Sea Horse]
- Sea Pipe
- Sea Bat
- American Toad Fish
- Bounce
- Belted Shark
- Lesser Rough Hound
- Angel Fish
- Balance Fish [Hammerhead]
- Tope
- White Shark
- Saw Fish
- Cramp Fish
- Unctuous Sucker
- Snipe Fish
- Chimaera Monstrosa [Rabbit or Rat Fish?]
- Diodon Atinga [Porcupine Puffer Fish]
- Diodon Hystrix [Porcupine Fish]
- Prickly Bottlefish
- Sun-fish
- Great Sturgeon
- Trunck-fish
- Horn-Fish
- Cuckold-fish
- Triangular fish
- Square fish
- Nose-Trunk
- Toadfish
- Starry Globe-fish
- Striped Globe
- Sea Weather Cock
- Tetrodon (various kinds)
- Mingo
- File Fish (various kinds)
- Little Old Wife
- Old Wife (various kinds)
- Muraena Helena [Mediterranean Moray]
- Chesky Eel
- Conger
- Electric Eel
- Bald-back (various kinds)
- Sword-Fish
- Snake-Fish (various kinds)
- Golden Pampel
- Dragonet (various kinds)
- Bearded Blenny
- Star-Gazer
- Hake
- Sea-Loche
- Whiting Pout
- Blennius Gattorugine [Tompot Blenny]
- Butterfly Fisch
- Kyrtus [Kurtus] Indicus
- Sucking-Fish
- Dolfin, Coryphaena Hippurus [Mahi-Mahi or Common Dolphinfish]
- Sea Pea Cock
- Poisonnet Grooper
- Scorpaena Volitans [Scorpion Fish]
- Rough Flounder
- Pleuronectes Zebra
- Whiff
- Zeus Ciliaris [African pompano]
- Silver-Fish
- Chaetodon Imperator
- Angel-Fish (various kinds)
- [Butterfly Fish]
- Sea Butterfly
- Grunter
- Marbled Synbranch
- Beaked Worm-fish
- Gilt Stromata
- Smith
- Mulatto
- Collar
Also includes a letter [MS/229a] from H.W. Wheelwright to Couch, inserted in volume, and dated 14 January [1853?].
Binding lettered: 'Poissons de Bloch, J.Couch' |
| Acquisition | Note at beginning of volume, dated 24 Janury 1857 and signed Jonathan Couch, reads: 'I have bought this work from the Messrs Reeves and Turner, Fleet Street, but from the well known writing in pencil on the plates, I see that it belonged to the Library of my friend Mr Yarrell:- so much the more valuable to me'. |