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

20 Historical survey GEORG RITTER,

49 GYÖRGY and MIHÁLY PAYR,

50 GYÖRGY DRINOCZY,

51 JOHANN MICHEL,

52 DÁNIEL PETZ

53 and JÁNOS REICHARD FIEDLER.

54 FERDINAND DOBNER, a mayor of Sopron, kept very detailed meteorological reports in 1725.

55 These are particularly valuable because they coincide with a paucity of data about Sopron in the summary account of RÉTHLY (1970).

56 Efforts to protect animals in Sopron in earlier centuries were summed up by ENDRE CSATKAI (1943). Another foreign polymath besides MARSIGLI to do zoological and botanical research in Hungary in the early decades of the 18th century was FRANZ ERNEST BRÜCKMANN (BRUECKMANNIUS, 1697-1753) of Wolffenbüttel. He came to Sopron as a guest of DECCARD'S before embarking on a tour of the Uplands (today's Slovakia) in 1724. BRÜCKMANN augmented his study of oak woods in the vicinity of Sopron, with zoological diagrams. In 1738, he published detailed drawings of oak galls he had seen at Zayugróc (Uhrovec) in the Uplands in the spring of 1724, most of which can be identified as being produced by gall-inducing wasps of the genus Cynips. He was also among the first to study the extinct animal life of this country. He and DECCARD gathered prehistoric remains from the Lajta limestone of Fertőrákos Quarry. Several communications of his appeared on the 'dragon bones' recovered in various caves, along with the Nummulites discovered in Transylvania. MÁTYÁS BÉL (1684-1749), rector of the Evangelical Lyceum in Pozsony in 1714-19 and pastor of the city in 1719-49, had close relations with BRÜCKMANN and with the two DECCARDS.

57 He was the foremost 18th-century writer 49 PAUER, I. 1874. Hans Georg Ritter'

s Oedenburger Chronik zur Gesichte der Rákóczischen Belagerung im Jahre 1704. Oedenburg [Sopron] (hereafter RITTER). 50 HEIMLER, K. 1942. Soproni Krónikák II. Payr György és Payr Mihály krónikája (1584-1700) (Sopron Chronicles II. Chronicle of GyP and MP, 1584-1700). Soproni Szemle 6:99 (hereafter PAYR). 51 DRINOCZY, GY. Böngészet Sopron megye ismeretéhez 1830-1847 (Browsings towards a Knowledge of Sopron County, 1830-47). Ms. 52 MICHEL, J.: Sammlungen von merkwürdigen Ereignissen in - und um Oedenburgs Gegenden von Jahr 1526. These were gathered by the parish clerk of St Michael's Church in Sopron, who kept a diary from 1842 to 1850. Ms, Sopron Archives (hereafter MICHEL). 53 CSATKAI, E. 1940. Soproni Krónikák I. Idősebb és ifjabb Petz Dániel krónikája (1778-1839) (Sopron Chronicles I. Chronicle of elder and younger DP, 1778-1839). Soproni Szemle 4:133-206. 54 HAMAR, GY. 1943. Soproni Krónikák III. Fiedler János Reichard kis krónikája (1808. július 19-től 1812. július végéig) (Sopron Chronicles III. Short chronicle of JRF, July 19, 1808 to end-July 1812). Soproni Szemle 7:Ъв; SZABÓ, J. 1980. A harmadik Fiedler-krónika (Third Fiedler chronicle). Soproni Szemle 34:331-3. 55 Diarium Senatorium et Oeconomicum de Anno 1725. Győr-Moson-Sopron County Archives. F. IV. B/1019. Num. 4. s6 TIRNITZ, J. 1974. XVIII. századi feljegyzések Sopron éghajlati viszonyairól és a várost ért elemi csapásokról (18th-century notes on weather conditions in Sopron and natural disasters suffered by the town). Soproni Szemle 28:165-78. 57 There is evidence in BEL'S surviving correspondence. See SZELESTEI, N.L. 1993. Bél Mátyás levelezése (Correspondence of MB). In TARNAI, A. ed. Magyarországi tudósok levelezése (Correspondence of Scholars in Hungary). Vol. 3, 686. Budapest: Balassi Kiadó.