Bernard du Bus de Gisignies

Jonkheer Bernard Aimé Léonard du Bus de Gisignies (Sint-Joost-ten-Node, June 21, 1808 - Bad Ems, Germany, July 6, 1874) was a Belgian politician, ornithologist and paleontologist. He was the second son of Leonard Pierre Joseph du Bus de Gisignies. He married "Petronilla Truyts" on 19 May, 1845, together they had two children; Viscount Bernard Daniel ((Sint-Joost-ten-Node, 7 October 1832-Brussels, 17 February 1917) and Viscount Chretien (Sint-Joost-ten-Node, 4 November 1845-Jabbeke, 3 July 1883).

He studied law at the Catholic University of Leuven, but soon became more interested in ornithology. In 1835 he presented a manuscript to the Royal Academy of Belgium in which described the bird Leptorhynchus pectoralis. He was a member of parliament for Soignies.

He became the first director of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in 1846. On this occasion he donated 2474 birds from his own collection to the museum. In 1860, during the construction of new fortifications around Antwerp he became involved in paleontology. The fossils found were mainly from whales. He also obtained the skeletons from a bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) and a young Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus), which are still on display in the museum. In 1860 the skeleton of a mammoth was found near Lier and was brought to the museum (on dsplay since 1869). At that time the only other skeleton of a mammoth was on display in the museum of Saint Petersburg (Russia).

In 1867 he became the director of the "science section" of the Royal Academy of Belgium.

ource

* [http://users.skynet.be/Ravels-Weelde-Poppel/nieuwe_pagina_1175.htm Bernard du Bus de Gisignies] (Dutch)
* Heemkundige Kring van Malle (Ed.), "Camera Obscura op Oost- en Westmalle", 1980
* Bart De Prins (Ed.), "Leonard du Bus de Gisignies", Heemkundige Kring van Malle, 1999