Dr. Kubassek János szerk.: A Kárpát-medence természeti értékei (Érd, 2004)

Dr. Péter Rózsa: Robert Townson (1762-1827): a pioneer scientific explorer of the Carpathian Basin

names are junior synonyms of formerly described species, however, five names are missing in only complete catalogue of beetles ever published.

39 It is believed that some contributors of the catalogue were unaware of Townson's book or unable to ascertain the validity of Townson's name, simply because his collection is unknown, his descriptions are quite short (as it was usual in that time)

, and the illustrations shows the beetle in actual size, consequently they are very small. However, Townson's "Entomologia" is an important piece of the early entomological literature of Hungary: it can be considered as the first faunistic list of beetles from Hungary (MERKL 0., 1999) • The "Regnum Vegetabile" lists 145 plant species following Linne's system.

40 In the case of about 70 species the exact localities are also published, most of them were found in the Tatra Mountains. He describes five species in details, four of them are shown in copper plates, too. From a botanical point of view, description of Saxifraga nivalis var. racemosa (figure 10) is the most remarkable. Townson considers this species to be a new variety of Saxifraga nivalis described by Linne. Some years later Pál Kitaibel renamed the species as Saxifraga hierifolia W. et K. as a new species.

41 Simonkai recognised Townson's priority and returned to the original name in the form of Saxifraga racemosa (Town.) Simk., and Jávorka also used this name in his Iconographia. On the other hand, Russian, Slovak, Romanian and German flora works keep the name given by Kitaibel (NAGY M., 1999)• Townson deals with the systematical problems of Pinuspumilio (= Pinus mugo) and Gentiana frigida, too. On the basis of the literature published since then, it can be stated that his notes and discussions were quite reasonable (NAGY M., 1999). Townson's botanical observation and descriptions are remarkable even in the light of Kitaibel's and Wahlenberg's work which contain much more data, s-^ry/ s a supplement of his book Townson published a map of Hungary, which v^XZ-is a slightly modified version of Korabinszky's trilingual map (Novissima regni Hungáriáé potamographica et telluris production tabula - Wasser und Producten Karte der Koenigreichs Ungarn - Magyarország természeti tulajdonságainak tüköré) published in 1791 (figure 11).

43 He writes on this map and the modifications in the Preface as it follows: TOWNSON'S "PETROGRAPRTC" MAP