Félix de Azara
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Félix Manuel de Azara (18 May 1746 - 20 October 1821) was a Spanish military officer, naturalist and engineer. He was born in Barbunales, Aragon.
He first embraced a military career as an engineer, and distinguished himself in various expeditions, and rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the Spanish Army.
Azara was sent to South America in 1781 to settle the question of borders between the Portuguese and Spanish colonies. He remained until 1801. Before leaving South America, he sent his brother (then Spanish Ambassador at Paris) many notes and observations of a zoological nature, which Moreau de Saint-Méry published at Paris in 1801 under the title of "Essai sur l'histoire naturelle des quadrupèdes du Paraguay". In 1802 there appeared at Madrid "Apuntamientos para la Historia natural de los cuadrúpedos del Paraguay y Río de la Plata". On his return he wrote Voyage dans l'Amerique meridionale depuis 1781 jusqu'en 1801 (1809).
A number of animals were named after him, including Azara's Spinetail Synallaxis azarae.
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This article incorporates text from the public domain Catholic Encyclopedia.
