Taipei, Dec. 4 (CNA) An exhibition documenting a 19th Century British naturalist's work in Taiwan was launched Tuesday to pay tribute to his contribution to the ornithology of Taiwan.
The exhibition, which will be held at the National Taiwan Museum (NTM) from Dec. 4 to July 20, commemorates the life and work of Robert Swinhoe (1836-1877) , who documented more than 1,000 species during his 10-year stay in Taiwan from 1856-1866 as Britain's first consular representative to Formosa.
"It's amazing that black-faced spoonbills, which were observed for the first time by Swinhoe in 1863, are still here in Taiwan today, " said Council of Cultural Affairs Vice Chairman Wu Chin-fa in the opening ceremony.
Swinhoe wrote himself into history with his observations and documentation of Taiwan's biological diversity, said museum researcher and exhibition curator Lin Jun-tsun.
Swinhoe was the first naturalist to systematically observe and document birds, mammals, fish and insects in Taiwan and southern China. Swinhoe's blue pheasant, an endangered species endemic to Taiwan, is named after him, Lin noted.
Specimens prepared by Swinhoe have proved to be valuable assets for modern naturalists in Taiwan, he said.
"What Swinhoe did 150 years ago reminds us about what we should do to preserve the environment and co-exist with the nature, " said NTM Director Hsiao Tsun-huang.
Assisted by the British Trade and Cultural Office in Taipei and the British Council, the exhibition is being organized by the NTM and the National Museum of Natural Science.