Vig Károly: Zoological Research in Western Hungary. A history (Szombathely, 2003)
Historical survey 23 luminous insects, 69 and on locusts, which were doing damage at that time. 70 Mention must certainly be made of the work done in Hungary by the Tirolean GIOVANNI ANTONIO SCOPOLI (1723-1788). He was a professor at Selmec (Banská Stiavnica) Academy, (forerunner of the University of Western Hungary in Sopron), teaching mineralogy, chemistry and mining, but an excellent botanist and zoologist as well. He wrote the basic work on the flora and fauna of the Krajna district (in modern Slovenia) and was the first to describe a large number of species. 71 In 1769, he published an ornithological work of pioneering importance, introducing the birds of Europe. 72 As ANDRÁS KEVE pointed out, 'It can be assumed that several of the species in [the book] were described from Hungarian specimens, as they occur much more rarely in Krajna. However, as he did not mention any locations, science has designated 'Carniola' as the terra typica. It is inconceivable that in three years, none of his Hungarian students should have brought him birds that are more readily found in this country than in Krajna.' 73 SCOPOLI described nine of the bird species that occur within the former borders of Hungary. The two owls he described —barn owl (Tyto alba) and little owl (Athene noctua) — could come from anywhere, but the squacco heron (Ardeola ralloides), whitefronted goose (Anser albifrons), whiteheaded duck (Oxyura leucocephala) and little crake (Porzana parva) species were very probably described from Hungarian specimens. 74 Increasing numbers of works appeared in the 18th century that concerned themselves not only with the fauna of a territory, but with general questions, such as the need for taxonomy, and the reputation and use of zoological studies. The work of the Sopronborn JÓZSEF CONRAD (JOSEPH CONRAD, 1756-1788) was of this kind. Having completed his university studies, CONRAD received a 'medical doctorate' in Vienna in 1779 and was elected a medical officer to the town of Sopron after his father's death. It is known through the Protestant minister and polymath SÁMUEL BREDECZKY 75 that CONRAD possessed a copy of Flora Semproniensis. CONRAD'S main works are Philosophia Históriáé Naturalis specimen inaugurale (Vindobonae [Vienna]: Schultz, 1779, 84 pp.) and the chapter 'Über Verbindung, und Zusammenhang des systematischen, und historischen Studiums der Naturgeschichte' in the first, 1781 volume of 69 KRAMER, J. 1736. De remediis pulices a satis in terram semminibus arcendi; item de insectis noctu lucentibus cicindelis, seu lampyris dictis. Commercium Litterarium Norimbergae 16:121. 70 KRAMER, J. 1749. Országunkban kárt tevő sáskák tábora (The swarm of locusts doing damage in this country). Buda. 71 SCOPOLI, I.A. 1760 and 1772. Flora Carniolioca. Wien [Vienna]; idem 1769-71. Annus historiconaturalis, I-V. Lipsiae (Leipzig). 72 The first volume of Annus historico-naturalis. 73 KEVE 1983. 74 KEVE, A. 1994. Adatok a magyar madártan történetéből (1300-1944) (Data from the history of Hungarian ornithology, 1300-1944). Aquila 101:9-40. 75 BREDECZKY, S. 1802. Topographisches Taschenbuch für Ungarn auf das Jahr 1802.