William Elford Leach FRS (February 2, 1790 – August 26, 1836) was an English zoologist and marine biologist. For other uses, see Royal Society (disambiguation). ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1790 (MDCCXC) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1836 (MDCCCXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Zoology (Greek zoon = animal and logos = word) is the biological discipline which involves the study of animals. ... Marine biology is the study of animal and plant life within saltwater ecosystems. ...

Leach was born in Plymouth, the son of a solicitor. At the age of twelve he went to school in Exeter, studying anatomy and chemistry. By this time he was already collecting marine samples from Plymouth Sound and along the Devon coast. At seventeen he began studying medicine at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, finishing his qualification at Edinburgh University and St Andrews University. , Plymouth (Cornish: ) is a city of 243,795 inhabitants (2001 census) in the south-west of England, or alternatively the West Country, and is situated within the traditional and ceremonial county of Devon at the mouths of the rivers Plym and Tamar and at the head of one of the... The city of Exeter is the county town of Devon, in the southwest of England, also known as the West Country. ... Human heart and lungs, from an older edition of Grays Anatomy. ... For other uses, see Chemistry (disambiguation). ... Part of the seafront of Torquay, south Devon, at high tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, and Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... For the chemical substances known as medicines, see medication. ... The King Henry VIII Gate at Barts, which was constructed in 1702. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The University of Edinburgh was founded in 1583 as a renowned centre for teaching in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews was founded between 1410-1413 and is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the United Kingdom. ...

In 1813 Leach returned to his zoological interests and was employed as assistant librarian in the Zoological Department at the British Museum. He set himself to sorting out the collections, many of which had been neglected since they had been left to the museum by Hans Sloane. During his time there he was made assistant keeper of the natural history department and became an expert on crustaceans and mollusks. He also worked on insects, mammals and birds. The British Museum in London, England is one of the worlds greatest museums of human history and culture. ... Hans Sloane. ... For the Dutch band, see Crustacean (band). ... Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora Monoplacophora Bivalvia Scaphopoda Gastropoda Cephalopoda † Rostroconchia The mollusks or molluscs are the large and diverse phylum Mollusca, which includes a variety of familiar creatures well-known for their decorative shells or as seafood. ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Archaeognatha (bristletails) Thysanura (silverfish) Subclass Pterygota Infraclass Paleoptera (Probably paraphyletic) Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Superorder Exopterygota Grylloblattodea (ice-crawlers) Mantophasmatodea (gladiators) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Embioptera (webspinners) Zoraptera (angel insects) Dermaptera (earwigs) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, etc) Phasmatodea (stick insects) Blattodea (cockroaches) Isoptera (termites) Mantodea (mantids) Psocoptera... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including those that produce milk, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ...

Leach's nomenclature was a little eccentric - he named twenty-seven species after his friend John Cranch, who had collected the species in Africa and later died on HMS Congo. In 1818 he named nine genera after Caroline or anagrams of that name, possibly after his mistress. John Cranch (1758 - 1816) was an English naturalist and explorer. ... For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... The HMS Congo was the first steam-powered warship built for the British Royal Navy, though it must be recorded that she was not very successful as such. ... For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ...

In 1821 he suffered a nervous breakdown due to overwork and resigned from the museum in March 1822. His elder sister took him to continental Europe to convalesce, and they travelled through France, Italy and Greece. He died of cholera in the Palazzo San Sebastiano, near Tortona, north of Genoa. For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Cholera (or Asiatic cholera or epidemic cholera) is a severe diarrheal disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. ... For other uses, see Genoa (disambiguation). ...

The Leach's Storm-petrel was named after him by Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1820, without him being aware that it had previously been described by Vieillot. A specimen of this bird had been purchased by Leach on behalf of the British Museum for £5 15s in the sale of the collection of William Bullock in 1819. At the same sale he also bought a Great Auk and an egg for just over £16. Binomial name Oceanodroma leucorhoa (Vieillot, 1818) The Leachs Storm-petrel or Leachs Petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) is a small seabird of the tubenose family. ... Coenraad Jacob Temminck (March 31, 1778 - January 30, 1858) was a Dutch aristocrat and zoologist. ... William Bullock (c. ... Binomial name Pinguinus impennis (Linnaeus, 1758) The Great Auk (Pinguinus impennis, formerly Alca impennis) is an extinct bird. ...

The Blue-winged Kookaburra Dacelo leachii was also named for him. Species Dacelo gaudichaud Dacelo leachii Dacelo novaeguineae Dacelo tyro Kookaburras are very large terrestrial kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea. ...

Bibliography

Leach's written works during his time at the British Museum include the following:

• Zoological Miscellany (1814-1817)
• Monograph on the British Crabs, Lobsters, Prawns and other Crustacea with pendunculated eyes (1815-1817)
• Systematic catalogue of the Specimens of the Indigenous Mammalia and Birds that are preserved at the British Museum (1816)
• Synopsis of the Mollusca of Great Britain (circulated 1820, but not published until 1852).

References

• Barbara and Richard Mearns - Biographies for Birdwatchers ISBN 0-12-487422-3