John Kinnis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dr John Kinnis was a medical superintendent to the British military forces in Ceylon in the nineteenth century, and wrote a number of paper for the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal on, for example, elephantiasis, smallpox vaccination and military medical statistics.[1] He retired from medical service in 1851.[2]

He was also an energetic and successful amateur naturalist and was seconded by Robert Templeton of the Royal Artillery to investigate and collect the local flora and fauna.[3]

The Ceylon subspecies of the Blackbird, Turdus merula kinnisii, was named for him by English zoologist and chemist Edward Blyth in 1841.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Kinnis, John (July 1851). "Contributions to the Military Medical Statistics of the Bombay Presidency". Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal 76 (188): 1-33. 
  2. ^ Bulletins of state intelligence, etc.; 1849-1884
  3. ^ Tennent, Sir J. Emerson (1861). Sketches of the Natural History of Ceylon with Narratives and Anecdotes Illustrative of the Habits and Instincts of the Mammalia, Birds, Reptiles, Fishes, Insects, &c. including a Monograph of the Elephant. London. Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts. 
  4. ^ Clement, Peter; Hathway, Ren; Wilczur, Jan (2000). Thrushes (Helm Identification Guides). Christopher Helm Publishers Ltd. ISBN 0-7136-3940-7.