Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 100. (Budapest 2008)

Korsós, Z.: History of the Herpetological Collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum

ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATIONALIS HUNGARICI Volume 100 Budapest, 2008 pp. 37-93. History of the Herpetological Collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum Z. KORSÓS Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum H-1088 Budapest, Baross utca 13, Hungary. E-mail: korsos@nhmus.hu Abstract - The first items documented in the history of the Herpetological Collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum were 37 amphibian and reptile specimens listed in the handwritten "Catalogus" of the National Museum in 1821. They included specimens of Scincus pannonicus (now Ahlepharus kitaibelii fitzingeri) and Proteus anguinus most probably collected by PÁL KlTAlBEL during his travels in 1797 and 1802. Subsequently, important acquisitions have been the result of the activity of IMRE and JÁNOS FRIVALDSZKY, SALAMON PETÉNYI, and several Hungarian travellers to exotic countries. After the foundation of the Department of Zoology in 1870, JÁNOS KARL (KÁRÓL!) gave a synopsis of the amphibians and snakes of Hungary, based on the material deposited in the collection and also literature data. From 1896 to 1915, there was a "golden age" of Hungarian herpetology, and also that of the Herpetological Collection of the museum, highlighting such names as LAJOS MÉHELY, ISTVÁN BOLKAY and GÉZA GYULA FEJÉRVÁRY. On the 100 anniversary of the Hungarian Natural History Museum (HNHM) in 1902, the herpetological material consisted of 5,066 identified specimens of 973 species. Remarkable parts of the collection were those collected and donated by SÁMUEL FENICHEL and LAJOS BÍRÓ from New Guinea, JÁNOS XÁNTUS from the United States, Mexico and Borneo, GYULA MADARÁSZ from Ceylon, and DÁNIEL ANISITS from Paraguay. These were all processed by MÉHELY, and most of the type material have also been deposited in the HNHM. The Hungarian part of the collection included extensive material from the whole Carpathian Basin, 1,433 locality samples of 50 species and subspecies altogether, as summarised by FEJÉRVÁRY-LÁNGH in 1943. In 1953, the famous Africa Exhibition of the HNHM was opened, with deligthful dioramas prepared by taxidermist SÁNDOR ORY, who also mounted a number of reptile specimens. Unfortunately, this exhibition was burnt to ash in 1956, and it could never be reconstructed. The destruction caused by Russian bombs during the Hungarian revolution almost totally annihilated the scientific collection in the Department of Zoology in Baross street as well; approximately 40,000 specimens with 20-25 valid type specimens, and the complete herpetological library were lost. The extremely hard work of reconstruction of the collection was the merit of two committed