VAUX, William Sansom

William Sansom Vaux

VAUX, William Sansom (1811-1882), Philadelphia-born mineralogist who was president of the Zoological Society of Philadelphia, and for whom Vaux’s Swift was named by his friend, John K. Townsend. Vaux’ archaeological collection contained materials from both San Miguel and San Nicolas islands, and upon his death his collections went to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia with the provision his minerology and archaeology collections be kept intact and separate from other Academy collections. In the 1980s, Vaux relatives, dissatisfied with the condition of the collections, transferred the Vaux collections, including San Miguel Island materials, to Bryn Mawr College. Original ledger books remain at ANSP, however.

Palmer, T. S. Nomenclature of California Birds in Condor 30(5):267-268 September-October 1928:

VAUX, William Sansom. “Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 19, 1811; died there, May 5, 1882. A member of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and a friend of J. K. Townsend named a new Swift which he had discovered on the Columbia River, now known as Chaetura vauxi This is a common migrant throughout California and breeds in the humid Northwest Coast region. ”

» Wardle, H. Newell Stone Implements of Surgery from San Miguel Island, California in American Anthropologist 1913 XV:4 (656-660) October-December.

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