Valentine Ball

Valentine Ball (July 14, 1843 – June 15, 1894) was an Irish geologist, and a brother of Sir Robert Ball.

Ball joined the Geological Survey of India, becoming an authority not only on geology but also on ornithology and anthropology. His best known work is "Jungle-Life in India". He later became director of the National Museum of Ireland.

He was a regular contributor to "Stray Feathers", the ornithological journal founded by Allan Octavian Hume. The Andaman Scops Owl ("Otus balli") is named after him.

Publications

*Ball, V. 1874. On the avifauna of the Chutia, Nagpur Division S. W. frontier of Bengal. Stray Feathers 2: 355 440.
*Ball, V. 1878. From Ganges to the Godaveri, on the distribution of birds. Stray Feathers 7: 191 235.
*Ball, V. 1877. Notes on birds observed in the region between Mahanadi and Godavari rivers. Stray Feathers 5: 410-420
*Ball, V. 1881. The Diamonds, Coal and Gold of India. [http://www.archive.org/details/diamondscoalgold00ballrich scanned]