Edward William Nelson (May 8, 1855 - May 19, 1934) was an American naturalist and ethnologist. May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (129th in leap years). ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... May 19 is the 139th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (140th in leap years). ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Table of natural history, 1728 Cyclopaedia Natural history is an umbrella term for what are now usually viewed as several distinct scientific disciplines. ... Ethnology (greek ethnos: (non-greek, barbarian) people) is a genre of anthropological study, involving the systematic comparison of the folklore, beliefs and practices of different societies. ...

In 1877 Nelson joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Spencer Fullerton Baird was responsible for selecting Signal Officers for the remoter stations, and would choose men with scientific training who were prepared to study the lcoal flora and fauna. Baird sent Nelson to St. Michael, Alaska. The U.S. Army Signal Corps was founded in 1861 by United States Army Major Albert J. Myer, a physician by training. ... Spencer Fullerton Baird Spencer Fullerton Baird (February 3, 1823 – August 19, 1887) was an American ornithologist and ichthyologist. ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area  Ranked 1st  - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,855 km²)  - Width 808 miles (1,300 km)  - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km)  - % water 13. ...

Nelson was the naturalist on board the USRC Corwin, which sailed to Wrangel Island in search of the USS Jeanette in 1881. Nelson published his findings in the Report upon Natural History Collections Made in Alaska between the Years 1877-1881 (1887). He also published his ethnological findings in The Eskimo about Bering Strait (1900). This article is about the Russian island. ... USS Jeannette was originally HMS Pandora, a gunboat in the Royal Navy and was purchased in 1875 by Sir Allan Young for his arctic voyages. ...

In 1890 Nelson accepted an appointment as a Special Field Agent with the Death Valley Expedition under Clinton Hart Merriam, Chief of the Division of Ornithology and Mammalogy, United States Department of Agriculture. After this expedition he was ordered to conduct a field survey in Mexico, and Nelson remained in the country for the next fourteen years. Nelson continued to work for the Bureau of Biological Survey until 1929, being Chief of the Bureau from 1916 to 1927. Death Valley and Panamint Range The salt lake at Badwater, Death Valley is the lowest point in western hemisphere. ... Clinton Hart Merriam (December 5, 1855-March 19, 1942) was an American zoologist and ornithologist. ... The United States Department of Agriculture (also called the Agriculture Department, or USDA) is a United States Federal Executive Department (or Cabinet Department). ...

References

• Obituary in the Auk
• Smithsonian Institution Archives