f 
S H A 
ditches and rivulets catching insects, and taking them home, 
aiid would spend all hi's leisure time in watching their 
motions and examining their structure. He was educated 
entirely by his father, and before he was fourteen years of 
age, his proficiency was such as allowed him to enter with 
great advantage upon a course of college studies: In 1765 
he was entered at Magdalen-hall, Oxford, where he was no 
less distinguished by the regularity of his conduct, than by 
an uncommonly diligent application to his studies. In 1769 
he was admitted to the degree of B.A. and in May 1772 to 
that of M.A. In order that he might assist his father in his 
clerical duties, he took orders, and was ordained deacon in 
1774, at Buckden, by Dr. Green, bishop of Lincoln, and 
regularly performed the duty at Stoke and Buckland, two 
chapels, each three miles apart from the mother church. As 
soon as an opportunity offered, he laid aside his theological 
career, which was never quite congenial to his mind, and 
went to Edinburgh, to qualify himself for the profession of 
physic. Having attended the lectures of Black, Cullen, 
and other eminent professors for three years, he returned to 
Oxford, where he was appointed deputy botanical lecturer. 
In this office he acquired much celebrity. He had been ap¬ 
pointed to his office by Dr. Sibthorp, the botanical pro¬ 
fessor, who was then upon the eve of setting out upon his 
travels into Greece. Upon the death of this gentleman, Dr. 
Shaw became candidate for the vacant professorship, in 
which he would unquestionably have been successful, had 
not an old statute been found, which prohibits a person in 
orders from filling the office. In 1787 he was admitted to 
the degrees of batchelor and doctor of medicine- it appears 
that at this time he had removed from Magdalen-hall to 
Magdalen college. In the same year he removed to London, 
where he practised as a physician. Shortly after this, 
several gentlemen, distinguished for their attachment to the 
study of, and eminent for their acquirements in natural 
history, established a society for the advancement of this 
science, under the denomination of the Linnasan Society. 
Dr. (now Sir James) Smith was elevated to the presidency, 
and Dr. Shaw was nominated one of the vice-presidents. 
To the Transactions of' this Society Dr. Shaw contributed 
the following papers :—“ Description of the Stylepiio- 
rus Cordalus “ Description of the Cancer St ag¬ 
nails “ Remarks on the Scolopendra Electrica 
and Scolopendra Subterranea;" “A Note to Mr. 
Kirby’s Description of the new Species of Hirudo 
“ Account of a minute Ichneumon;” “ Description of the 
Species of Mycteriaf‘ Description of the Mus Bursarius, 
and Tubularia Magnifica.” 
Dr. Shaw at this period delivered a course of lectures at 
the Leverian Museum, and never failed, as well before, as 
after, that rich and magnificent collection was removed from 
Leicester Fields, to attract very large and scientific au¬ 
diences. In 1789 Dr. Shaw began to publish “ The Na¬ 
turalist’s Miscellany,” which came out in monthly numbers, 
and continued till his decease, when 2S6 parts had been 
published, and, according to the biography of the author 
given in the Gentleman’s Magazine, a posthumous number, 
<vith an index, was to terminate the work, which is described 
as a most beautiful and extensive production, comprising, in 
1064 plates, figures of the more curious and remarkable 
productions of the three kingdoms of nature, more particu¬ 
larly of the animal kingdom, with descriptions in Latin and 
English. In this year Dr. Shaw was elected a fellow of 
the Royal Society, and in 1790 he projected a work in 
4tO. entitled “ Speculum Linnaeum ; or Linnaean Zoology,” 
but it probably did not promise success, as a single number 
only appeared. In 1791 Dr. Shaw became a candidate for 
the office of a librarian in the British Museum, and his qua¬ 
lifications, which were of the first order, procured him the 
appointment of assistant keeper of the natural history. He 
now quitted the duties of physician, and devoted himself 
entirely to researches in natural science. Between the 
years 1792—6, appeared the following work: “ Musaei Le- 
veriani explicatio Anglrca et Latina, opera et studio Georgii 
Shaw, M.D. F. R. S. Adduntur fmurse eleganter sculptae et 
■ Vol. XXIII. No. 1557. 
S H A 105 
coloratae. Impensis Jacobi Parkinson, In 1794 Dr. Shaw, 
in conjunction with Dr. Smith and Mr, Sowerby, engaged 
in a splendid publication, illustrative of the accessions 
which had been made to natural science on the shores of 
New Holland. The animals peculiar to that country were 
described by Dr. Shaw in a work entitled “ The Zoology 
of New Hollandthe figures were delineated by Mr. 
Sowerby; and the botanical part was written by Dr. Smith, 
and published under the title of “ The Botany of New 
Holland.” 
Sixty large plates published by Miller, the editor of the 
Gardener’s Dictionary, under the title of “ Various Subjects 
in Natural History, wherein are delineated Birds, Animals, 
and many curious Plants,” being judged defective from 
want of letter-press, Dr. Shaw supplied the deficiency in a 
work entitled “ Cimelia Physica: Figures of rare and cu¬ 
rious Quadrupeds, Birds, &c., together with several most 
elegant Plants, engraved and coloured from the Subjects 
themselves: with Descriptions by George Shaw, M.D. 
F. R. S.” 
In the year 1800, Dr. Shaw began his great work, entitled 
“ General Zoology, or Natural History, with Plates from 
the best Authorities, and most select Specimens.” This work 
had proceeded to the eighth volume during the life-time of 
the author, and a ninth was left ready for the press. In this 
work he intended to comprise the whole of the history of 
the animal world. It began with quadrupeds, and had 
proceeded through fishes, amphibia, insects, and part of the 
birds. The Linnaean arrangement, with occasional varia¬ 
tions, has been pursued throughout. 
In the years 1806 and 1807, Dr. Shaw delivered a course 
of zoological lectures, which were published in 1809 in 
two large volumes 8vo. In the first nine lectures the author 
has compressed the substance of what he had delivered in the 
General Zoology, and in the three remaining lectures is 
a sketch of what, had his life been spared, he intended to 
accomplish in completing the General Zoology. In 1807, 
upon the death of Dr. Gray, keeper of Natural History in 
the British Museum, Dr. Shaw was promoted to that office. 
An abridgment of the Transactions of the Royal Society 
was begun in 1809, of which the department of natural 
history fell to the lot of Dr. Shaw. It is said he abridged 
1500 distinct articles, which he rendered still more interesting 
than the originals, by the insertion of Linnaean and specific 
names, and by occasional annotations, and considerable 
references to subsequent authors of much celebrity, who had 
treated on these subjects. This was the last work in which 
he engaged. His time was wholly occupied upon the 
“ Naturalist’s Miscellany” and the “ General Zoology,” 
when death terminated his active and very useful life on the 
22d of July, 1813, in the 62d year of his age. His illness 
was but of a few days’ continuance: his senses and his 
recollection only forsook him with his breath. He died, as 
he had lived, with philosophic composure and serenity of 
mind, which neither the acute pains which he endured, nor 
the awful change which he was well aware he was about to 
experience, could in any degree disturb. 
“ As few men have left behind them a character more 
estimable, his name will be transmitted to posterity among 
those who give lustre to their age and country, who do 
honour to human nature by their virtues, and who contri¬ 
bute to the advancement of science, and the interests of 
literature, by their superior talents. Endowed by nature 
with considerable intellectual parts, and these improved by 
assiduous cultivation, he acquired a vast stock of general 
knowledge. His extensive information was treasured up 
without confusion, applied in his works with discernment, 
and communicated to every enquirer with cheerfulness and 
freedom.” Gentleman s Magazine, 1813. 
SHAWIA [so named by Forster, in memory of Thomas 
Shaw, D. D., who published travels into Barbary and the 
Levant], in Botany, a genus of theclasssyngenesia, order po- 
lygamiasegregata.—Generic Character. Calyx: perianth im¬ 
bricate, cylindrical : scales five or six, oblong ; three inner 
longer, almost equal. Corolla one-petalled, Jfunnel-form, 
2 E short: 
