Richard Brinsley Hinds facts for kids

Richard Brinsley Hinds (born October 11, 1811, in Aldermaston, England – died May 25, 1846, in Swan River, Western Australia) was a British naval surgeon, a botanist (someone who studies plants), and a malacologist (someone who studies molluscs like snails and shells). He sailed on a long journey from 1835 to 1842 aboard HMS Sulphur to explore the Pacific Ocean. He also helped put together the scientific reports from that amazing trip.

Early Life and Education

Richard Hinds was born in Aldermaston on October 11, 1811. He was the oldest child of Richard Hinds, who was also a surgeon in the Royal Navy, and his mother, Susannah.

In 1829, Richard started studying at St Bartholomew's Hospital to become a surgeon. A year later, in 1830, he began his studies at London University and earned a special degree with high marks. He was even said to have won a gold medal for his work in botany, which shows how good he was with plants! By 1833, he became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons, which is a big achievement for a surgeon.

Adventures on HMS Sulphur

In 1835, Richard Hinds joined the Royal Navy as an Assistant Surgeon. Soon after, he was assigned to HMS Sulphur. This ship was going to be used for mapping the oceans in the Pacific Ocean. The officers chosen for this ship were picked because they were good at science, especially natural history.

On December 24, 1835, the Sulphur set sail from Plymouth. Their mission was to travel all the way around the world, going west. Richard Hinds spent many years on this journey, exploring new places and collecting scientific information. He had to return home early in April 1841 due to illness. The ship finally arrived back in England in July 1842.

Scientific Discoveries and Publications

After his voyage, Richard Hinds was given the important job of organizing all the natural history items collected during the Sulphur's journey.

While on the voyage, in early 1841, he collected many plants in Hong Kong. These were the first plant collections from Hong Kong ever brought to England! In 1842, he wrote a paper about the plants and climate of Hong Kong. Another botanist, George Bentham, helped identify nearly 140 different plant species from Hinds' collection. Richard also wrote many articles for a science journal called Annals of Natural History.

In 1843, the captain of the Sulphur, Edward Belcher, published a two-book report about the voyage. Richard Hinds wrote a part of it, which was also published separately as The Regions of Vegetation. This book talked about how plants are spread across the world based on climate and other natural factors.

Richard Hinds was also chosen by the British government to help prepare the official science reports from the Sulphur's voyage. He was the editor for two big books published in 1844: The Botany of the Voyage of H.M.S. Sulphur (about plants) and The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Sulphur (about animals). He might have even written some parts of these books himself.

Later Life and Legacy

Sadly, Richard Hinds' health was affected by a serious illness he caught during his time in the Navy. In 1845, he was given permission to travel to Australia for his health. He moved to Swan River in Western Australia, but he passed away there on May 25, 1846, when he was only 34 years old.

Even though his life was short, Richard Hinds made important contributions to science. The Sulphur's journey continued the Royal Navy's work of exploring the Pacific Ocean, just like the famous voyage of HMS Beagle where Charles Darwin sailed. Richard Hinds even exchanged letters with Charles Darwin, and Darwin owned a copy of Hinds' book, The Regions of Vegetation.

Taxa Described

Richard Hinds helped describe and name many new species of marine animals, especially molluscs. When a scientist "describes" a species, it means they are officially naming and documenting it for the first time. He described 346 marine species, including:

• Columbella carinata, which is now known as Alia carinata. This is a small sea snail found in the ocean.

Taxa Named in Honour

To honor Richard Hinds' contributions to science, several plants and animals were named after him. This is a common way for scientists to recognize each other's work.

• Carex hindsii, a type of plant.
• Hindsia, a genus (a group of related plants) from South America.
• Quercus hindsiana and Quercus hindsii, which are types of oak trees.

The World Register of Marine Species also lists 25 different marine species that have "hindsii" in their name, showing how much he was respected in the study of sea life.