Nicolas Pike Explained

Nicolas Pike (January 26, 1818 – April 11, 1905) was an American consul and a naturalist.[1] [2]

He was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts and studied at Latin High School. He was named after his uncle; Nicholas Pike, a mathematician.[3] He moved to New York in 1839 and worked as a paper hanger.[4]

He served as consul in Oporto, Portugal.[4] He trained soldiers in Long Island during the American Civil War and attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.[4] He then served as U.S. Consul in Port Louis, Mauritius. He corresponded with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.[5] Edward Newton was the British official on the island and a bird enthusiast.[6]

He painted fish and collected specimens that are now part of collections at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University, the Mauritius Herbarium, and the American Museum of Natural History.[7] [4]

He served as president of the Brooklyn Natural History Society and as the U.S. Consul to Mauritius from 1867 to 1873.[8] He documented fish species in the Western Indian Ocean habitat around Mauritius and neighboring islands.[9]

He imported English sparrows and introduced them in New York.[10] [11]

Pomacentrus pikei, a damselfish, is named for him.[4]

Personal life

He was married to Maria Louisa Pike.

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Nicolas Pike. Scientific American. 1895 . 39 . 1011supp . 16151–16152 . 10.1038/scientificamerican05181895-16151supp .
  2. Web site: The Royal Society of Arts and Sciences of Mauritius. rsasmauritius.org.
  3. Web site: August 15, 1895. Scientific American: Supplement. Munn and Company. Google Books.
  4. Web site: Nicolas Pike: Consul, naturalist and admirer of Mauritius. www.lexpress.mu.
  5. Web site: Letter from Nicholas Pike, U. S. Consul, to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; from U. S. Consulate, Port Louis, Mauritius; 9 Oct 1873; four page letter comprising two images; folio 534 on JSTOR. plants.jstor.org.
  6. https://islandbiodiversity.com/Phelsuma28e.pdf
  7. Nicolas Pike and his unpublished paintings of the fishes of Mauritius, western Indian Ocean : with an index to the fishes. Bulletin of the AMNH ; v. 58, article 9.. E. W. (Eugene Willis). Gudger. Nicholas. Pike. August 15, 1929. 2246/864.
  8. Web site: Schrynemakers . Paula . August 27, 2020 . There's Something Fishy Going On Here! . January 16, 2024 . American Museum of Natural History Gottesman Research Library News.
  9. Web site: Gudger. E. W.. Pike. Nicholas. American Museum of Natural History Library. Nicolas Pike and his unpublished paintings of the fishes of Mauritius, western Indian Ocean : with an index to the fishes. Bulletin of the AMNH ; v. 58, article 9.. 2020-11-12. Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  10. Web site: Nicholas Pike. UNREMEMBERED. 17 July 2017 .
  11. Web site: House Sparrow History. sialis.org.
  12. Book: Mauritius.), Nicolas Pike (U S. Consul, Port Louis. Sub-tropical Rambles in the Land of Aphanapteryx: Personal Experiences, Adventures, and Wanderings in and Around the Island of Mauritius. August 15, 1873. Harper & Brothers. 9780836991031. Google Books.

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