Ussher Bird Notes
R.J. Ussher’s (1841-1913) collection consists of notes and correspondence relating to the birds of Ireland, cave exploration and to antiquities.
Richard John Ussher (1841-1913), MRIA, was a speleologist, ornithologist and the main author of Ussher & Warren, The birds of Ireland (Dublin and London, 1900). Ussher was elected a member of the Royal Irish Academy in 1906. He bequeathed his books, papers and correspondence on natural history, cave exploration, and antiquities to the Academy.
The collection known as the Ussher Bird Notes consists of Ussher’s notes and correspondence relating to the various bird species recorded in Ireland. The original calendar of the collection, compiled by P. Cuffe in 1960-1961, was prepared for the web by Mr. Karl Vogelsang of the Academy library in 2003. Currently accepted nomenclature was applied to outdated bird names with the help of Mr. Eric Callaghan, Department of Zoology, University College Dublin. The calendar now reflects both the current nomenclature and the superseded terms as used by Ussher.
Further Reading
James P. O’Connor, ‘Natural history collections’ in Treasures of the Royal Irish Academy library edited by B. Cunningham and S. Fitzpatrick (Dublin, 2009), pp. 104-117.