Robert Service (naturalist)

Robert Service
Born(1854-05-23)23 May 1854
Netherplace, Ayrshire, Scotland
Died8 May 1911(1911-05-08) (aged 56)
NationalityScotsman
Occupation(s)nurseryman, naturalist

Robert Service (1854–1911) was a British nurseryman and naturalist.

Biography

Robert Service was born 23 May 1854 in Netherplace, near Mauchline, Ayrshire. His father was a gardener there. For a short time the family lived near Carlisle, and when Robert was at the age of three, his father settled in Dumfries and founded a nursery business there. Robert was educated at the Old Free Church School, Davidstreet, Maxwelltown under Master William Fairley and started working in his fathers nursery.[1]

Robert Service lived most of his live in Maxwelltown, Dumfries.[2]

He used the pen name "Zoologicus", and later "Mable Moss".[2]

In 1879 he married a daughter of Mrs. Glendinning of Maxwelltown. They had two sons and three daughters.[2]

Service died on 8 May 1911.[2]

Naturalist

From 1870 to 1882 Robert Service was the secretary of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society. He was a so-called 'reconstitution member.' This indicates that he was elected at the reconstitution meeting of 3 November 1876. At this meeting he was also elected an honorary Secretary. In 1902 he was appointed Vice-President; in 1907 he became honorary Vice-President. On 20 January 1911 he was appointed honorary member.[2]

He was also a member of the British Ornithological Union, of the Edinburgh Field Naturalists' and Microscopic Society, of the Natural History Society of Glasgow, of the Andersonian Society, Glasgow and of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. He was a corresponding member of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Club.[2]

Around 1900 Service had become the major influence of natural history for the Dumfries and Galloway Region (especially on birds and butterflies).[3]

Bibliography

Among the publications of Robert Service are:[4]

  • 1875: 'Cirrcedia xerampelina in Scotland,' in: The Entomologist, vol. 8, p. 282.[5]
  • 1879: 'Colias edusa in 1877,' in: Transactions of Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society, series 2, vol. 1, pp. 54–59.[6]
  • 1885: 'Disappearance of the Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus, L.) from the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright' (read 28 April 1885), in: Proceedings and Transactions of the Natural History Society of Glasgow, n.s. vol. 1 (1883–1886), pp. 117–122.
  • 1887: 'On the former existence of Ptarmigan in South-West Scotland,' in: The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol. 11, p. 81–89.[7]
  • 1892: 'Freshwater Fishes of the Solway Area,' in: Annals of Scottish Natural History, 1892, pp. 18–25.[8]
  • 1894: 'Charaeas graminis in southern Scotland,' in: The Entomologist, vol. 27, pp. 278–282.[9]
  • 1895: 'The Starling in Solway,' in: Annals of Scottish Natural History, 1895, pp. 92–96.[10]
  • 1896: 'Bird-migration and Insect Life in the Solway District in the Autumn of 1895,' in: Annals of Scottish Natural History, vol. 5, pp. 98–99.
  • 1901: 'The Vertebrates of Solway: A century's changes,' in: Transactions of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society, series II, vol. 17, p. 15–31.[11]
  • 1908: 'Death's-head Moth in Kirkcudbrightshire,' in: Annals of Scottish Natural History, vol. 17, p. 186.
  • 1911: 'Notes on the British Starling' (read 28 January 1910), in: Transactions of Dumfries and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society, n.s. vol. 22, pp. 100–103.
Wikisource has original works by or about:
Robert Service

Sources

  • 'Robert Service, naturalist (1855–1911),' in: Gallovidian, vol. XIII, no. 50 (summer 1911), pp. 62–64[12]
  • 'The late Mr. Robert Service,' in: Dumfries and Galloway Standard, 10 May 1911.[12]
  • Hugh S. Gladstone – 'In Memoriam: Robert Service,' in: Annals of Scottish Natural History, no. 79 (July 1911), p. 129.[12]

References

  1. ^ "Robert Service, Naturalist (1855–1911)". Gallovidian. 13 (50): 62–64. 1911. Retrieved 3 February 2020.; see also "Slater's (late Pigot & Co.'s) Royal national commercial directory and topography of Scotland, 1861". Scottish Post Office Directories. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Robert Service". dgnhas.org.uk (Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society). Archived from the original on 14 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  3. ^ "History of local moth recording". dgmoths.org.uk (Dumfries & Galloway Moths). Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  4. ^ See "Robert Service". dgnhas.org.uk (Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society). Retrieved 7 January 2020. and "References". dgmoths.org.uk (Dumfries & Galloway Moths). Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  5. ^ Probably Atethmia centrago is meant.
  6. ^ Nowadays the species is named Colias croceus; see: "The Transactions and Journal of Proceedings of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society" (PDF). II. 1 (sessions 1876–1878). 1879: 54–59. Retrieved 27 January 2020. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ^ Service 1887, via Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL).
  8. ^ Service 1892, via BHL.
  9. ^ Nowadays Cerapteryx graminis.
  10. ^ Service 1895 in BHL.
  11. ^ Service 1901: see: "The Transactions and Journal of Proceedings of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society" (PDF). 2. 17 (sessions 1900–1901 to 1904–1905). 1906: 15–31. Retrieved 26 January 2020. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. ^ a b c Online available at: "Robert Service". dgnhas.org.uk (Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society). Archived from the original on 14 June 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2020.