| Charlotte De Bernier Taylor | |
| Birth Place: | Savannah, Georgia |
| Death Place: | Isle of Man |
| Occupation: | Entomologist |
| Children: | 3 |
| Education: | Madam Binze's School |
| Signature: | Signature of Charlotte De Bernier Taylor (1806–1861).png |
Charlotte De Bernier Scarbrough Taylor (August 4, 1806 – November 26, 1865) was an American entomologist.[1]
Born in Savannah, Georgia in 1806, daughter of William Scarbrough, and Julia (née Bernard), Taylor was educated at Madam Binze's School in New York, after which she made a tour of Europe.[2] On her return to Georgia in 1829, she married James Taylor, a wealthy merchant,[2] [3] with whom she had two daughters and one son, lived in Savannah as a person of means, raised the family and became involved in social affairs, scientific studies and writing.
Just before the start of the American Civil War, Taylor went to England to write a book about plantation life, but died on the Isle of Man of tuberculosis on November 26, 1865.
During the 1830s, Taylor began to study insects seriously, publishing her findings in general literary magazines. She studied insects related to cotton growing for fifteen years before publishing in American magazines, notably Harper's New Monthly Magazine, in the 1850s. She also investigated insects related to wheat. She is thought to have published about 19 articles in all, including the following.
Articles written by Charlotte Taylor (many of which include illustrations):The Musquito Family, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine,Volume 18, pages 32 – 43Flies, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine,Volume 18, pages 729 – 740The Flea, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine,Volume 19, pages 178 – 189Insects Destructive To Wheat, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine,Volume 20, pages 38 – 52The Silk-Worm, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine,Volume 20, pages 753 – 764Insects Belonging To The Cotton Plant, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine,Volume 21, pages 37 – 51Spiders: Their Structure And Habits, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Volume 21, pages 461-477Unwelcome Guests, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Volume 22, pages 30 - 46 More About Spiders, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Volume 22, pages 323 – 335A Chapter on Mites, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine,Volume 22, pages 607 – 614Insects Destructive Of Maize, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine,Volume 23, pages 317 – 326Pets, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine,Volume 23, pages 519 – 524Night Revelers, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine,Volume 23, pages 770 – 776An Orthopterian Defense, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Volume 24, pages 490 – 496A Notable Congress, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine,Volume 25, pages 732 – 745Musicians Of Field And Meadow, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Volume 26, pages 495 – 500Insects Injurious To Fruit, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine,Volume 26, pages 827 – 833Insects Injurious To The Vine, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine,Volume 27, pages 61 – 66Soundings, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine,Volume 29, pages 179 – 186Under A Glass, Manx Sun, 4/25/1863What I Found In A Morning Walk, Manx Sun, 1/17/1863American Agriculturist 1860-04: Vol 19 Iss 3, Microscopic Views of the Insect World. I, Pg 80 – 81American Agriculturist 1860-04: Vol 19 Iss 4, Microscopic Views of the Insect World. II, Pg 108 – 109American Agriculturist 1860-05: Vol 19 Iss 5, Microscopic Views of the Insect World. III, Pg 140 – 141American Agriculturist 1860-06: Vol 19 Iss 6, Microscopic Views of the Insect World. IV, Pg 172 - 173American Agriculturist 1860-10: Vol 19 Iss 9, Microscopic Views of the Insect World. V, Pg 268American Agriculturist 1860-10: Vol 19 Iss 10, Microscopic Views of the Insect World. VI, Pg 300 – 301American Agriculturist 1860-10: Vol 19 Iss 11, Microscopic Views of the Insect World. VII, Pg 332 - 333American Agriculturist 1860-12: Vol 19 Iss 12, Microscopic Views of the Insect World. VIII, Pg 360
Charlotte also wrote and illustrated a book published by Saunders, Otley, & Co. in 1859 titled "Scenes In Southern Plantation Life".
Taylor used powerful magnifying glasses to study insects and illustrated her articles with intricate drawings, in which endeavour she was assisted by her daughters. She published a study on the silkworm and wrote about the natural history and anatomy of spiders. On her journey to England she made microscopic studies of sea water.
Taylor is recognized as having produced significant and accurate work that is of high quality. This work may not have been recognized due to the fact that she published in popular magazines and wrote in entertaining literary style.[4]