George Finlayson
Encyclopedia
George Finlayson was a Scottish naturalist
and traveller. He was called one of the best naturalists of his day, and was noted for his pioneering studies of the plants, animals, and people of southern Thailand and the Malay peninsula.
Finlayson was born at Thurso
in 1790, was clerk to Dr. Somerville, chief of the army medical staff in Scotland, and afterwards to Dr. Farrel, chief of the army medical staff in Ceylon. He was then transferred to Bengal
, and attached to the 8th Light Dragoons as assistant-surgeon in 1819. In 1821-2 he accompanied the Crawfurd trade mission
to Siam (now Thailand
) and Cochin China (now Viet Nam) as naturalist, returning with it to Calcutta in 1823. By this time his health was thoroughly broken, and he soon afterwards died.
The journal which he had kept during the mission was edited, with a prefatory note on the author, by Sir Stamford Raffles
, F.R.S.,, and published in 1826 under the title The Mission to Siam and Hue, the capital of Cochin China, in the years 1821-2, from the Journal of the late George Finlayson, Esq.,
The bird Stripe-throated Bulbul (Pycnonotus finlaysoni)
is named in Finlayson's honor.
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
and traveller. He was called one of the best naturalists of his day, and was noted for his pioneering studies of the plants, animals, and people of southern Thailand and the Malay peninsula.
Finlayson was born at Thurso
Thurso
-Facilities:Offices of the Highland Council are located in the town, as is the main campus of North Highland College, formerly Thurso College. This is one of several partner colleges which constitute the UHI Millennium Institute, and offers several certificate, diploma and degree courses from...
in 1790, was clerk to Dr. Somerville, chief of the army medical staff in Scotland, and afterwards to Dr. Farrel, chief of the army medical staff in Ceylon. He was then transferred to Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, and attached to the 8th Light Dragoons as assistant-surgeon in 1819. In 1821-2 he accompanied the Crawfurd trade mission
John Crawfurd
John Crawfurd , Scottish physician, and colonial administrator and author, was born in the island of Islay, Scotland...
to Siam (now Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
) and Cochin China (now Viet Nam) as naturalist, returning with it to Calcutta in 1823. By this time his health was thoroughly broken, and he soon afterwards died.
The journal which he had kept during the mission was edited, with a prefatory note on the author, by Sir Stamford Raffles
Stamford Raffles
Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles, FRS was a British statesman, best known for his founding of the city of Singapore . He is often described as the "Father of Singapore"...
, F.R.S.,, and published in 1826 under the title The Mission to Siam and Hue, the capital of Cochin China, in the years 1821-2, from the Journal of the late George Finlayson, Esq.,
The bird Stripe-throated Bulbul (Pycnonotus finlaysoni)
Stripe-throated Bulbul
The Stripe-throated Bulbul is a species of songbird in the Pycnonotidae family.It is found in Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam....
is named in Finlayson's honor.