Reptiles and Amphibians
The reptile and amphibian collections at the Hunterian have a chequered history in their many years of existence, with parts of them moved around up to four different institutions. This project aims to unravel the curatorial mysteries of the collection with particular reference to material originating from the 19th century Andersonian Museum in Glasgow, and its keeper Dr John Scouler, on whom a scholarly biography by Charles Nelson is due to be published in 2013. The work on the reptile and amphibian material is one part of an ongoing project to clarify the outcome of the dispersal of the Andersonian natural history material in general.
Image 1. A horseshoe whip snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis) collected by John Scouler in Portugal. 19th century jar with original label