Jan Adrianus Herklots

Jan Adrianus Herklots (born August 17, 1820 in Middelburg , Zeeland , † March 31, 1872 in Zoeterwoude ), also Latinized Janus Adrianus Herklots , was a Dutch zoologist. His main research interests were crustaceans and echinoderms .

Live and act

Herklots studied medicine and then natural sciences at the University of Leiden .

In 1846 he became curator for invertebrates at the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie in Leiden , a position he held until his death in 1872. Christiaan Karel Hoffmann was his successor .

In June 1851 he graduated with an inaugural dissertation with the title Additamenta ad faunam carcinologicam Africa occidentalis on the crustaceans from the Guinea coast to the doctor of philosophy . In 1861, Herklots published a museum catalog on the crustaceans from the Wilhem de Haan's system . But he also wrote important works on coelenterates , especially sea ​​feathers (Pennatulacea) and echinoderms (modern and fossil taxa).

In 1854 the museum got its own insect department, which was under the administration of Herklots and was curated by the entomologist Samuel Constant Snellen van Vollenhoven (1816–1880). In July 1860 the invertebrate department was reorganized and van Vollenhoven became head of the entomological department.

Herklots made important contributions to invertebrates. However, his work was not as important as that of Wilhelm de Haan. Nevertheless, Hererklot's merits were not small and his work is highly valued. In contrast to de Haan, Herklots was very interested in the Dutch invertebrate fauna. As of today, the Natural History Museum in Leiden has several articles on invertebrates that Herklots collected on the beach in Noordwijk . Herklots was married to Antoinetta Johanna Agatha Susanna, the daughter of the former museum director Joannes Andreas Susanna (1795-1859).

Herklots was a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences , the Dutch Society of Sciences in Haarlem , and several other learned societies.

Works (selection)

• Bouwstoffen voor eene fauna van Nederland, onder medewerking van onderscheidene leererden en beoefenaars der dierkunde (1853–66)
• Fossiles de Java. ... 4. Echinodermes , 1854
• Notices pour servir à l'étude des polypiers nageurs ou Pennatulides , 1857
• De dieren van Nederland. Weekdieren , 1859
• Symbolae carcinologicae: études sur la classe des crustacés , 1861
• Natuurlijke historie van Nederland. De weekdieren en campere dieren , 1870

literature

• LB Holthuis: 1820–1958 Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie Chjm Fransen, C. van Achterberg, Pj van Helsdingen (ed.) Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum 1995 ( PDF online, 2.61 MB ) (Dutch)