Vig Károly: Zoological Research in Western Hungary. A history (Szombathely, 2003)

XV PREFACE After the turn of a new millennium, an imperative need to summarize appears in every field of science. Such demands lie behind this book, which outlines the history and findings of research into the animal kingdom in one of the loveliest parts of Hungary, the varied West Hungarian border region. However, it constitutes more than a survey of the work done in the 20th century. The author has assessed and summarized the research into the animal kingdom, the most varied section of living world, from the beginnings to the present day. His chapters on the history of research reveal that substantive research began only in the 1930s and systematic collection only in the most recent decades. It is gratifying to read how much the natural-history teachers (these days, biology teachers) at secondary schools in the West Hungarian border region have done to promote knowledge of their local plant and animal life. They would have been helped in their collecting by their pupils, so arousing an interest in the living world among many of them, so that went on, in many cases, to choose such research as a vocation. Indeed Hungary is in the European forefront in terms of the number of those studying the fauna and flora relative to the population. Unfortunately, a declining number of young biologists today deal with taxonomy. The younger generation seems to be more attracted to molecular biology. Nonetheless, an acquaintance with the taxonomic work of earlier decades and centuries shows this to be the one field where something really lasting can be achieved. And how vital it can be, in an age of accelerating degradation of the environment, to identify the species occupying and populating a particular area. For it is not possible to establish from present-day data alone, without a knowledge of what species once lived in an area, what degree of degradation has occurred. As in all fields of science, the development of zoology is associated with a few outstanding exponents. But science does not only need good professionals. It also needs a type of person whose narrower, specialist knowledge is accompanied by organizing ability. Such ability is required to recruit the large number of specialists without whom the task of identifying the specimens of all the various branches of animal life could not be attempted. The work of this author is clear proof that he is not just a taxonomist, but one who understands scientific organization and possesses the ability to synthesize. It is no small achievement to have written this book, for it contains more than 2350 items in its list of references, along with almost 500 more in the footnotes, which make the account of our knowledge of this subject almost complete. The author could not have written his work on the history of research if he had only been a taxonomist. He is much more than that. He also treats confidently the art-history and ecological data. Indeed, the footnotes provide a critical assessment that confirms his possession of a sound basis of knowledge, despite his youth. The book also holds an important place in biology-related local research in Hungary. It is a milestone in research