Johann Reinhold Forster

**Johann Reinhold Forster** (22 October 1729 – 9 December 1798) wis a pairt Scottish Reformt (Calvinist) pastor an naturalist wha made contreibutions tae the early ornithology o Europe an North America. He is best kent as the naturalist on James Cook's second Paceefic voyage, whar he wis accompanied bi his son Georg Forster. These expeditions promotit the career o Johann Reinhold Forster an the findins becam the bedrock o colonial professionalism an helped set the stage fur the future development o anthropology an ethnology. They laid the framework fur general concern aboot the impact that alteration o the physical environment fur European economic expansion wad hae on exotic societies an aa.

## Biography

Forster's faimily originated in the Lords Forrester in Scotland frae whair his greet-grandfather haed emigrated efter losin maist o his property durin the rule o Oliver Cromwell alang wi mony ither Scots. Forster himsel wis born in the ceety o Tczew (Dirschau) in Poland. He studied languages an naitural history at the Joachimsthal Gymnasium in Berlin, theology at the University o Halle, afterwards servin as a Protestant pastor in Mokry Dwór (Nassenhuben) Pomeranian Voivodship. He mairit his cousin Elisabeth Nikolai. They haed several bairns includin a son, Georg Forster.

In 1765 he acceptit an offer made tae him bi the Russian government tae inspect an report upon the noo colonies foundit on the banks o the Volga, in the province o Saratov. His carnaptious temper soon involved him in difficulties wi the Russian governent, an in the follaein year he went wi Georg (the eldest o aicht bairns, seiven o which survived bairnheid) tae England an becam a dominie o natural history at Warrington, Lancashire.
He spent three years teachin at the Dissentin Warrington Academy, succeedin Joseph Priestley. Compelled bi his violent temper tae resign this appointment, Forster then muived wi his son tae London, whar thay earned a precarious livin bi daein transleetions. In 1771, he publeeshed *A Catalogue of the Animals of North America*, which listed the region's mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, insects, arachnids, an crustaceans.

Whan Joseph Banks withdroo at the last moment as naturalist on Cook's second voyage, Forster an his son war appointed tae fill the vacant position. In Julie 1772 thay set sail on the *Resolution*, returnin tae England in Julie 1775. Durin a stop in Cape Town, Forster engaged Anders Sparrman tae act as his assistant.

Baith the Forsters kept detailed diaries o everythin thay spied on the voyage, an made extensive collections o baith naitural history specimens an artefacs. On his return Forster publeeshed *Observations Made during a Voyage round the World* (1778). Houiver the income frae the beuk wis insufficient tae clear his debts, an the bulk o Georg's drawins frae the voyage haed tae be sauld tae Joseph Banks. Durin the next few years Forster undertook a variety o writin work, includin a German translation o Thomas Pennant's *Arctic Zoology*.

In November 1779 Forster wis appointit Professor o Naitural history an Mineralogy at the University o Halle, an diractor o the Botanische Garten der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, whar he remaint until his daith. His *Descriptiones animalium*, completit within a month o returnin tae England wi Cook, wis eventually eeditt bi Hinrich Lichtenstein an published in 1844.

Forster's contreibutions tae the *Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society* (1772–73) on zoology, ornithology, an ichthyology established him as ane o the arliest authorities on North American zoology.

## See an aa
* European an American voyages o scientific exploration

## References

## Freemit airtins
* Scans of ''Specimen Historiae Naturalis Volgensis'' at the Göttinger Digitalisierungszentrum
* Biography  at the Australian Dictionary of Biography
* SUB Göttingen  Forster, J. R. 1771.*Novæ species insectorum.* Centuria I. Londini. (Davies, White).
* Gaedike, R.; Groll, E. K. & Taeger, A. 2012: Bibliography of the entomological literature from the beginning until 1863 : online database – version 1.0 – Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut. 
* Indische Zoologie 1781