Edward Frederick Kelaart

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Frederick Kelaart (November 21, 1819 – August 31, 1860) was a Ceylonese-born physician and naturalist.

Kelaart was of Dutch and German heritage, and served in the Ceylon Medical Service. He was a staff assistant surgeon in Gibraltar from 1843 to 1845, later transferred to Ceylon. He was an active member of the Ceylon branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. In 1852 he published "Prodromus fauna Zeylanica", the first description of Ceylonese fauna.

He made large collections of reptiles at Newara Eliya and sent them to Edward Blyth. [Smith, M. A. 1941. Fauna of British India. Reptilia and Amphibia.] The Black-throated Munia ("Lonchura kelaarti") is named after him.

Kelaart died on a voyage to England.

Works

*"Prodromus Faunæ Zeylanicæ ; being Contributions to the Zoology of Ceylon" (1853),
*"Introductory Report on the natural history of the Pearl Oyster of Ceylon" (1857).
*"Contributions to Marine Zoology; being descriptions of Ceylon Nudibranchiate Molluscs, Sea Anemones and Entozoa"(Colombo, 1859).

References