Thomas C. Jerdon

Jerdon was born in Durham and studied at Edinburgh University. He became assistant-surgeon in the British East India Company, stationed in India and later Surgeon Major in the Madras Regiment.

Jerdon started collecting birds shortly after his arrival in India. He sent his collection to William Jardine for identification, but by the time they arrived at Jardine's house in Scotland they had become infested by moths. Jerdon trusted to his own identifications from then on, publishing 'A Catalogue of the Birds of the Indian Peninsula' for the Madras Journal of Literature and Science (1839-40). This included 420 species, almost doubling the list produced earlier by Colonel W. H. Sykes.

Jerdon's most important publication was The Birds of India (1862-64), which included over 1000 species. He also wrote Illustrations of Indian Ornithology (1844), The Game Birds and Wildfowl of India (1864) and Mammals of India (1874). He had a wide interest in natural history and his studies include descriptions of plants, ants, amphibians, reptiles, birds as well as mammals. Jerdon was instrumental in the birth of the Fauna of British India series.

Writings

• Jerdon, T. C. 1840 Cuculus himalayanus sp. n. Madras J. Literature and Science 11: 12-13
• Jerdon, T. C. 1842 Cuculus venustus sp. n. Madras J. Literature and Science 13: 140
• Jerdon, T. C. 1847 Illustrations of Indian Ornithology 1036 (September 4,1847)
• Jerdon, T. C. 1851 A catalogue of the species of ants found in southern India. Madras J. Lit. Sci. 17: 103-127
• Jerdon, T. C. 1853 Catalogue of Reptiles inhabiting the Peninsula of India. J. Asiat. Soc. 153
• Jerdon, T. C. 1854 A catalogue of the species of ants found in southern India. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (2)13: 45-56
• Jerdon, T. C. 1863 The Birds of India. Volume I 1857 (May 30,1863)
• Jerdon, T. C. 1864 The Birds of India. Volume II, Part I 1895 (February 20,1864)
• Jerdon, T. C. 1864 The Birds of India. Volume III 1931 (October 29,1864)
• Jerdon, T. C. 1870 Notes on Indian Herpetology. P. Asiatic Soc. Bengal March 1870: 66-85
• Jerdon, T. C. 1874 The mammals of India: natural history. John Wheldon, London.