Vig Károly: Zoological Research in Western Hungary. A history (Szombathely, 2003)
3 6 Historical survey rety by CHERNÉL, 113 whereas FREH'S account of the animal kingdom, including insects and spiders and their allies, would not be published until 1878. ISTVÁN CHERNÉL (1865-1922) (Figure 2.16) was an outstanding person in Hungarian ornithology. 114 By the age of twelve, he had begun keeping a diary (Figures 2.17 and 2.18) of his bird observations — extracts have been published by JÓZSEF CSABA (1967e) and ERNŐ HORVÁTH (1963). He completed secondary school in Sopron, where he was taught by the dipterist and ornithologist ISTVÁN FÁSZL. The great work by ISTVÁN CHERNÉL, his two-volume Birds of Hungary, with Special Attention to their Economic Importance appeared in 1899, as the first scientific ornithological work by a Hungarian author (CHERNÉL 1899) (Figure 2.J9). 115 The author had gathered material from all over the country. He had also read the Hungarian ornithological literature and examined collections at home and abroad. The latter included several belonging to Vas County ornithologists, among them ÖDÖN HUSZTHY'S at Léka (Lockenhaus), with about 1000 specimens, that of GYÖRGY ALMÁSY at Borostyánkő (Bernstein), with about 1400 specimens, the ornithological materials of LAJOS MOLNÁR, recorder of Molnaszecsőd, and his own collection of some 1500 specimens. Later, he translated and adapted for Hungary the three volumes on birds in BREHM'S Tierleben series. 116 In 1902, he founded the Kőszeg branch of the National Animal Protection Society, whose main practical task was bird protection (Figure 2.20). 117 He organized a 'Day of Birds and Trees' at Kőszeg, modelled on the 'Birds Day' and 'Arbor Day' held in the United States, and this remains as a fine tradition in the county. 118 This was 113 FREH, A. 1876. Kőszeg viránya (Flora of Kőszeg). Értestívény a kőszegi kath. kis gymnasiumról 1875/76. 3-33. Szombathely. 114 ALMÁSY, GY. 1922. Chernelházi Chernél István... Aquila (1921) 28:7-13 and 14-21; CSÖRGEY, T. 1922. Chernelházi Chernél István, 1865-1922... Aquila (1921) 28:22-6 and 27-32; WARGA, K. 1922. Chernél István (1865-1922). Természettudományi Közlöny (1918) 54:89-92; DABASY-FROMM, G. 1929. Chernél István. Vasvármegyei Múzeum Évkönyve (1927-9):54-69; MANNSBERG, A. 1930. Chernelházi Chernél István életének rövid áttekintése (Short account of the life of IChCh). Kócsag 3:1-10; CSABA, J. 1963. Chernél István. Halálának 40. évfordulójára (ICh. On the 40th anniversary of his death). Savaria a Vas megyei Múzeumok Értesítője 1:49-55; VERTSE, A. 1965. Chernél ünnepségek Kőszegen. A Chernel-emlékkiállítás megnyitó beszéde... (Chernél celebrations in Kőszeg. Speech at the opening of the Chernél Memorial Exhibition). Aquila 71-2:11-13 and 13-15; MANNSBERG, A. 1965. Chernél István, az ember... (Chi, the character). Aquila 71-2:17-25. A full bibliography of Chernel's writings appears in VÉRTESI, P. MRS 1981. Chernél István. In Vasi Életrajzi Bibliográfiák (Vas Biographical Bibliographies) Vol. 5, 111. Szombathely: Berzsenyi Dániel Megyei Könyvtár (Dániel Berzsenyi County Library). 115 The task of editing and preparing this vast work for the press fell to OTTÓ HERMAN. 116 Madarak I-III. (Birds Vols 1-3). Budapest: Légrády Testvérek. Vol. 1, 1902, 702 pp., Vol. 2, 1902, 678 pp., Vol. 3, 1904, 782 pp. Hungarian translation of Vols 4-6 of ALFRED BREHM'S Tierleben, adapted and expanded for Hungarian conditions. 117 On the foundation of the Kőszeg and Szentgotthárd branches, see KUKULJEVIC, J. 1906. Magyarország madárvédelmének története, fejlődése és jelenlegi állapota (History, Development and Present State of Bird Protection in Hungary). Budapest: Országos Állatvédő Egyesület Kiadása (Publication of the National Animal Protection Society). 118 HERMAN, O. 1906. A madarak és fák napja Magyarországon (The Day of Birds and Trees in Hungary). Budapest.
