(Born: Leeds, England, 8 July 1726; Died: Besselsleigh near Oxford, England, 3 April 1791) English physician.

Berkenhout graduated with a medical degree from the University of Leyden in 1765. The son of a merchant who originally came from Holland. It was intended that he should follow a career as a merchant, but at the outbreak of war between England and France in 1756 he was commissioned an officer. In 1760 at the conclusion of the war, he entered Edinburgh University to study medicine, later transferring to Leyden. He served as a British agent in the colonies during the American Revolution. Was captured, but managed to escape back to England. Besides a medical practice, he devoted most of his energies to writing books on a variety of subjects.

Biographical references: LKG: 280.

1. English, 1769-72 [First edition].
Outlines | of the | Natural History | of | Great Britain | and | Ireland. | Containing | A systematic Arrangement and concise Description of | all the Animals, Vegetables, and Fossiles which have | hitherto been discovered in these Kingdoms. | [rule] | By John Berkenhout, M.D. | [rule] | In Three Volumes. | [rule] | Vol. I. | Comprehending the Animal Kingdom. | [double rule] | London: | Printed for P. Elmsly (Successor to Mr. Vaillant) | facing Southampton-street, in the Strand. | M DCC LXIX [-M DCC LXXII].

3 vols. [Vol 1: 1769] 4°: A⁷ B-P⁸ Q⁵; 124l.; [i]-xiii, [1], [1]-233, [1] p. Note: The first digits are missing from page numbers 126 and 176. [Vol 2: 1770] 4°: A-Z⁸ Aa¹; 185l.; [i]-vii, [8]-16, ²1-353, [3] p. [Vol 3: 1772] 4°: π¹ a⁴ B-G⁸ H⁴; 57l.; [i]-xii, [1]-103, [1] p.

Contents: [Vol 1] [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; [iii]-v, Dedication.; [vi], Blank.; [vii]-ix, "Preface."; [x], Blank.; [xi]-xiii, Classification of animal kingdom.; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-220, Text.; [221]-230, Indexes.; [231]-233, Derivations, followed by brief errata under rule at bottom of Q5r.; [1 pg], Blank.

[Vol 2] [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; [iii]-vii, "Preface."; [8], Blank.; [9]-16, Classification of vegetable kingdom.; [1]-335, Text.; [336], Blank.; [337]-353, "Index."; [1 pg], Blank.

[Vol 3] [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; [iii]-vii, "Preface."; [viii], Blank.; [ix]-x, References.; [xi]-xii, classification of fossil kingdom.; [1]-93, Text.; [94], Blank.; [95]-103, Indexes.; [1 pg], Blank.

Very scarce. At the time of publication this was an authoritative treatise on the British fauna and flora, giving under the Linnean and English names of each species a clear and concise description together with the type of locality in which it could be found. In the section dealing with lepidoptera details of the larvae and food plants are also given. Other volumes described animals and minerals. Altogether three editions were published with the title of the second and third changed to Synopsis of the Natural History of Great Britain and Ireland [see next entries].

Contents: Volume I. Comprehending the Animal Kingdom. Volume II. Comprehending the Vegetable Kingdom. Volume III. Comprehending the Fossil Kingdom.

Bibliographical references: Henrey, British Botanical Literature, 1975: no. 443. • LKG: XIV 426. • Mengel, Catalogue of the Ellis Collection, 1972-83: no. 259. • Mullens & Swann, Ornithology Bibliography, 1917: pp. 58-9. • NUC: 48, 649. • Roller & Goodman, Catalogue, 1976: 1, 104. • Wood, Literature of Vertebrate Zoology, 1931: p. 234.

2. English, 1789 [2nd edition].
Synopsis | of the | Natural History | of | Great Britain and Ireland. | Containing | A Systematic Arrangement | And | Concise Description | Of All The | Animals, Vegetables, And Fossils, | which have hitherto been discovered | In Those Kingdoms. | [rule] | By John Berkenhout, M.D. | [rule] | Being a | Third Edition of The Outlines, &c. | Corrected And Considerably Enlarged. | [rule] | Vol. I. [-II.] | Comprehending the Animal and Fossil Kingdoms. | [rule] | London: | Printed for T. Cadell, in the Strand. | M DCC LXXXIX.

2 vols. [Vol 1] 4°: [i]-xii, [13]-16, [2], 17-19, [1], [1]-334 p. [Vol 2] 4°: [2], [1]-380 p.

Contents: [Vol 1] [i-ii], Half title page, verso blank.; [iii-iv], Title page, verso blank.; [iii], Dedication.; [iv], Blank.; [v]-xii, "Preface."; [13]-15, Classification of animal kingdom.; [16], Blank.; [1 pg], Errata.; [1 pg], Blank.; [17]-19, "Glossary."; [20], Blank.; [1]-222, Text.; [223]-[224], Blanks.; [225], Sectional title page, "The Fossil Kingdom."; [226], Blank.; 227-313, Text.; [314], Blank.; [315]-334, Indexes.

[Vol 2] [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank.; [1]-8, Classification of vegetable kingdom.; [9]-363, Text.; [364], Blank.; [365]-380, "Index."

Very scarce. Volume one contains the animal and fossil kingdoms, and volume two describes the vegetable kingdom.

Bibliographical references: Henrey, British Botanical Literature, 1975: no. 444. • Roller & Goodman, Catalogue, 1976: 1, 104.

3. English, 1795 [3rd edition].
Synopsis | of the | Natural History | of | Great Britain and Ireland. | Containing | A Systematic Arrangement | And | Concise Description | Of All The | Animals, Vegetables, And Fossils, | which have hitherto been discovered | In Those Kingdoms. | [rule] | By John Berkenhout, M.D. | [rule] | Being a | Third Edition of The Outlines, &c. | Corrected And Considerably Enlarged. | [rule] | Vol. I. [-II.] | Comprehending the Animal and Fossil Kingdoms. | [rule] | London: | Printed for T. Cadell, and sold by T. Cadell, Junior, | and W. Davies, (Successors to Mr. Cadell) | in the Strand. | M DCC XCV.

2 vols. [Vol 1] 4°: π¹ A⁸ a² B-X⁸ Y⁷; 179l.; [2], [i]-xii, [13]-19, [1], 1]-334 p. [Vol 2] 4°: [A]² B-Ee⁷ Ff² Gg⁸; 4227l.; [4], [1]-450, [2], [451]-466 (i.e., 468) p. Very scarce.

Contents: [Vol 1] [2 pgs], Half title page, verso blank.; [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; [iii], Dedication.; [iv], Blank.; [v]-xii, "Preface."; [13]-15, Classification of animal kingdom.; [16], Blank.; 17-19, "Derivations."; [20], Blank.; [1]-222, Text.; [223-224], Blanks.; [225], Sectional title page, "The Fossil Kingdom."; [226], Blank.; [227]-313, Text.; [314], Blank.; 315-334, Indexes.

[Vol 2] [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank.; [1 pg], "Preface."; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-450, Text.; [1 pg], Errata.; [1 pg], Blank.; [451]-466, "Index."

Bibliographical references: BMC: 1, 144. • Henrey, British Botanical Literature, 1975: no. 445. • LKG: XIV 427a. • Mengel, Catalogue of the Ellis Collection, 1972-83: no. 260. • NUC: 48, 649.

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