340 
A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF 
[LATHAM 
many years at Dartford. He retired with considerable 
means in 1796, having received his M.D. degree at Erlangen 
the year before, and settled at Romsey, Hampshire. 
Throughout his life he was a student of nature* and was also 
interested in archaeology. He was elected F.R.S. in 1775, 
and took a leading part in founding the Linnean Society in 
1788, while from 1771 to 1799 he kept up a correspondence 
with Pennant. He lived during his later years with his 
son-in-law at Winchester, and from thence issued his General 
History of Birds (1821-28). He died February 4, 1887, and 
was buried in the Abbey Church of Romsey. 
Swainson’s estimate of Latham, which is worth quoting 
in part, was as follows : “ Although a strict disciple of the 
Linnsean School, and hence strongly prejudiced against the 
growing innovations upon his master’s nomenclature, which 
our Continental neighbours were even then making, he was 
so far unprejudiced as to characterise several new genera (a 
bold step in those days), and to separate the land from the 
aquatic birds. This was certainly an advance ; although a 
small one. For the rest, we are obliged to say that the 
vastness of his plan, which aimed at no less than the descrip- 
tion of all known birds, was too great for his talents. His 
memory was not good ; hence he has frequently described 
the same species by different names ; and he placed too 
much faith in drawings, which led to the same error. Dr. 
Latham happened to live at that particular period when the 
museums of Europe began to be crowded with new birds, 
quite unknown to Linnaeus, without any one naturalist to 
describe them. This he undertook to do ; and, in reference 
to the then state of ornithological science in Britain, he did 
his task very creditably. ... In private life, Dr. Latham 
was a most amiable man, and he lived, much esteemed and 
respected, to a very advanced age.” 
*1781-1801[2]. A | General Synopsis | of | Birds. | Yol. I. Pt. 1st. 
[Pt. 2d. etc.] | London: | Printed for Benj. White. | mdcclxxxi 
[— mdcccii]. 
Collation — 3 vols. in 6 pts. 4to, with 2 Supplements, together 
