John McClelland
Encyclopedia
Sir John McClelland was a British
medical doctor
with interests in geology
and biology
, who worked for the East India Company
.
In 1835 he was sent on a mission (Tea Committee) to identify if tea could be grown in north-eastern India along with Nathaniel Wallich
and William Griffith
. This mission ran into troubles with the members of the group.
McClelland was appointed 1836 as the secretary of the "Coal Committee", the forerunner of the Geological Survey of India
(GSI), formed to explore possibilities to exploit India
n coal. He was the first to propose hiring professional geologist
s for the task. He was also involved in surveys of forests and his reports led to the establishment of the Forest Department in India.
He also served as an interim superintendent of the Calcutta Botanical Garden from 1846 to 1847 and was editor of the Calcutta Journal of Natural History from 1841–1847. McClelland is commemorated in the name of the Mountain Bulbul
, Ixos mcclellandii. In his work as an ichthyologist
he described many species and several genera of fish, among them Schistura
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
medical doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
with interests in geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
and biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, who worked for the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
.
In 1835 he was sent on a mission (Tea Committee) to identify if tea could be grown in north-eastern India along with Nathaniel Wallich
Nathaniel Wallich
Nathaniel Wallich was a surgeon and botanist of Danish origin who worked in India initially in the Danish settlement near Calcutta and later joined the East India Company...
and William Griffith
William Griffith (botanist)
William Griffith was a British doctor, naturalist, and botanist.Griffith's botanical publications are from India and Burma. After a brief stay in Madras, he was assigned as a Civil Surgeon to Tenasserim, Burma, where he studied local plants and made collecting trips to the Barak River valley in...
. This mission ran into troubles with the members of the group.
McClelland was appointed 1836 as the secretary of the "Coal Committee", the forerunner of the Geological Survey of India
Geological Survey of India
Geological Survey of India , established in 1851 is a government organization in India which is an attached office to the Ministry of Mines of Union Government of India for conducting geological surveys and studies. It is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and the second oldest...
(GSI), formed to explore possibilities to exploit India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n coal. He was the first to propose hiring professional geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
s for the task. He was also involved in surveys of forests and his reports led to the establishment of the Forest Department in India.
He also served as an interim superintendent of the Calcutta Botanical Garden from 1846 to 1847 and was editor of the Calcutta Journal of Natural History from 1841–1847. McClelland is commemorated in the name of the Mountain Bulbul
Mountain Bulbul
The Mountain Bulbul is a songbird species in the bulbul family . It is often placed in Hypsipetes, but seems to be closer to the type species of the genus Ixos, the Sunda Bulbul or Green-winged Bulbul...
, Ixos mcclellandii. In his work as an ichthyologist
Ichthyology
Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish. This includes skeletal fish , cartilaginous fish , and jawless fish...
he described many species and several genera of fish, among them Schistura
Schistura
Schistura is a genus of ray-finned fish in the subfamily Nemacheilinae . All members of Schistura live in stream and river habitats; some inhabit caves.- Species :...
.