The way of the Silver Age zoologist: practices of field work, capturing and collecting material

[Шлях зоолога Срібної доби: практики польової роботи, добування і колекціонування матеріалу]

Igor Zagorodniuk https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0523-133X

National Museum of Natural History, NAS of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine)

doi: https://doi.org/10.53452/gb2503

Cite as

Zagorodniuk, I. 2023. The way of the Silver Age zoologist: practices of field work, capturing and collecting material.GEO&BIO, 25: 3–31. [In Ukrainian, with English summary]

pdf:  pdf

Abstract

The article is an essay on the formation and development of professional zoological research in Ukraine, with a focus on the study of terrestrial vertebrates, especially mammals, in particular during long-distance and long-term expeditionary trips and under conditions of stationary field research at biological stations. The heyday of such research is equated to the well-known renaissance of cultural processes of the late 19th and first third of the 20th century, but in field zoology such processes continued throughout the second third of the 20th century. The key features of the zoologists and field zoology of the Silver Age were constant (in fact, year-round) route excursions around the vicinity of large cities or various types of biological stations, as well as long-distance wagon-type collective expeditions, constant presence in nature with a gun more than with any type of trap, high specialisation on objects that could be obtained by shooting and were not small-sized and generally traditional hunting targets, linking the objectives of expeditions to material collection more than to observations (and, in fact, feedback, i.e. justification of expedition goals by the needs of collections accumulation). Special attention is paid to the traditional methods and volumes of material collecting. The changes in the practices of large expeditions and the factors of their extinction are considered. In particular, the latter is associated not so much with the disappearance of the need for material as with changes in the tasks of its analysis and the emergence of alternative, primarily live methods of studying certain species, as well as a departure from paradigmatic guidelines for describing and analysing the biotic diversity of regions and revising the taxonomy of groups and studying species variability using traditional systems of features, criteria, and approaches. The article analyses the value of the samples collected during the Silver Age and the tasks, motives and sources of enriching modern collections after the loss of the classical system of mass collection of morphological material.

Key words: field zoology, animal trapping, capturing methods, museum collections.

Correspondence to

Igor Zagorodniuk; National Museum of Natural History, NAS of Ukraine; 15 Bohdan Khmelnytsky Street, Kyiv, 01030 Ukraine; Email: zoozag@ukr.net

article info

Submitted: 23.10.2023. Revised: 04.12.2023. Accepted: 30.12.2023

References

Abelentsev, V. I., I. G. Podoplichko, B. M. Popov. 1956. General Characteristics of Mammals. Insectivores, Bats. Publishing house of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kyiv, 1–448. (Series: Fauna of Ukraine; Volume 1, issue 1). [In Ukrainian]

Barabash-Nikiforov, I. I. 1928. Essays on the Fauna of the Steppe Dnipro Region (Former Ekaterinoslavshchyna). 1. Mammals. State Publishing House of Ukraine, Dnipro, 1–137. [In Ukrainian] https://u.to/vEQfIA

Barabash-Nikiforiv, I. 1929. Above the Shores of the Arctic Sea. State Publishing House of Ukraine, Kharkiv,1–96. [In Ukrainian]

Beauplan, de, G. V. 1660 (1990). Description of Ukraine. Transl. from the French by Y. I. Kravets, Z. P. Borisyuk. Naukova Dumka, Kyiv, Ukrainian Scientific Institute, Cambridge, 1–256. [In Ukrainian] https://shorturl.at/dikZ2

Bondarenko, V. D., E. M. Rizun. 2006. Forest zoology: a guide to animal dissection and collection formation for the museum of forest fauna. National Forestry University of Ukraine, Lviv, 1–74.

Bondarenko, V. D., I. V. Delegan, K. A. Tatarynov, M. V. Chernyavsky, S. D. Tatukh, [et al.]. 1993. Hunting Science. Training Manual. Teaching-Methodological Cabinet Higher Education, Kyiv, 1–197. [In Ukrainian] https://shorturl.at/jEJW4

Bonnaud, E., F. M. Medina, E. Vidal, M. Nogales, B. Tershy, [et al.]. 2011. The diet of feral cats on islands: a review and a call for more studies. Biol. Invasions, 13: 581–603.

Charlemаgne, N. 1926. Еine Ехuкsion auf dem Dniepr vоn Kiew bis Stary Glybow und ruckwärts. Collection of works of the Dnipro Biological Station. Edited by D. O. Beling. Issue 1. Kyiv, 239–249. [In Ukrainian] https://shorturl.at/cguAN

Chudiyovych, I. 2017. Hunting ‘Atlantis’ of the Lviv Carpathians. History and mythology, articles and photos. Pyramid, Kyiv, 1–268. ISBN 978-966-441-493-4 [In Ukrainian]

Dementiev, V. I. 1971. Fundamentals of Hunting Science. 2nd edition. Forest Industry, Moscow, 1–232. [In Russian] https://shorturl.at/GMO15

Domashlinets, V. 2005. On the permits issued for research activity with removal of wild animals from the nature. Novitates Theriologicae, 5: 84–86. [In Ukrainian] https://shorturl.at/ezCSV

Emelyanov, I., I. Zagorodniuk, V. Anistratenko. 2022. Vladyslav Monchenko, an outstanding zoologist and his contribution to the development of zoological collections. Geo&Bio, 22: 29–36. [In Ukrainian] https://doi.org/10.15407/gb2204

Enaleiev, I. Practice of Falconry. Kazan, 2007, 1–56. [In Russian]

Gavrilov, E. I., V. A. Naglov, A. K. Fedosenko, [et al.]. 1968. On the avifauna of the Volga-Ural interfluve. Proceedings of the Institute of Zoology, Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR, 29: 153–190. [In Russian]

Gamalia, V. M., Y. K. Duplenko, V. I. Onoprienko, S. P. Ruda, V. S. Savchuk. 2018. In: Presidents of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine for 100 years of its existence. Kyiv, 1–215. [In Ukrainian]

Gerasimov, Y. 1990. Hunting Autotraps and Trapping. Reference book. Agropromizdat, Moscow, 1–192. ISBN 5-10-001343-5. [In Russian] https://shorturl.at/BEHMX

Godlevskaya, E. V., M. A. Ghazali. 2009. New Records of Bats (Chiroptera) at the Territory of Donetsk Region (Ukraine). Vestnik zoologii, 43 (5): 470. [In Russian]

Hutton, T. C., J. Dobson. 1993. The control of feral pigeons: an independent approach. Structural survey, 11 (2): 159–167.

Kalabukhov, N. I. 1978. The Life of a Zoologist. (Half a century of studying mammals and other animals). Moscow University Publishing House, Moscow, 1–183. [In Russian]

Karavaev, V. 1926. A brief essay on the development and modern state of the Zoological Museum U.A.S. Proc. Physical-Mathematical Division of Ukr. Acad. Sci., 4 (2): 21–30. [In Ukrainian]

Kondratenko O., Foroschuk V. 2006. The account of fine mammal and other groups of animals using ditch with pitfalls, with the purpose of studying their communities. Proceedings of Theriological School, 7: 114–116. [In Russian] https://shorturl.at/krI57

Korobchenko, M. 2010. The XV Theriological school-seminar «Problem species of mammals» (Kaniv, 2008): report about work. Proceedings of the Theriological School, 10: 159–164. [In Ukrainian] http://doi.org/10.15407/ptt2010.10.159

Korobchenko, M. 2016. Evdokia Reshetnyk (1903–1996) — an outstanding figure in the history of academic zoology and ecology in Ukraine. Geo & Bio (Proceedings of the National Museum of Natural History), 14: 136–146. [In Ukrainian] https://shorturl.at/aEGQS

Krauze-Gryz, D., J. Gryz, J. Goszczyński. 2012. Predation by domestic cats in rural areas of central Poland: an assessment based on two methods. Journal of Zoology, 288 (4): 260–266. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2012.00950.x

Kuzmenko L. P. (ed.). 2017. Diaries of Vsevolod Velikaniv: a Manual for Independent Work of Students. Nizhyn Gogol State University, Nizhyn, 1–183. [In Ukrainian]

Lazariev, I. 2022. Dormice and anthropogenic traps: features of catching. Novitates Theriologicae, 13: 103–105. http://doi.org/10.53452/nt1343

Leopold, A. S., S. A. Cain, C. M. Cottam, I. N. Gabrielson, T. L. Kimball. 1964. Predator and Rodent Control in the United States. US Fish & Wildlife Publications, 1–254. https://shorturl.at/otvPW

Lepczyk, C. A., J. E. Fantle-Lepczyk, K. D. Dunham, [et al.] 2023. A global synthesis and assessment of free-ranging domestic cat diet. Natute Communications, 14: art #7809. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42766-6

Mason, G., K. E. Littin. 2003. The humaneness of rodent pest control. Animal Welfare, 12 (1): 1–37. https://shorturl.at/bxBKS

Mazurmovych, B. M. 1972. Development of Zoology in Ukraine. Kyiv University Publishing House, Kyiv, 1–229. [In Ukrainian]

Mikhalev, Y. A. 2008. Whales of the Southern Hemisphere: Biology, Fishing, Prospects for Population Recovery. LLC "INVATS", Odessa, 1–328.

Mikhalev, Y. 2019. Whales of the Southern Ocean: Biology, Whaling and Perspectives of Population Recovery. Springer Switzerland AG, 1–382. (Series: Advances in Polar Ecology; Vol. 5).

Muzyka, V. 2021. Theoretical provisions of functioning and development of the hunting economy in Ukraine. Scientific Bulletin of Polissia, 2 (23): 40–52. https://doi.org/10.25140/2410-9576-2021-2(23)-40-52

Myhulin, A. A. 1917. Mammals of the Kharkiv Province. Kharkiv, 1–74. [In Russian]

Myhulin, O. O. 1938. Mammals of the Ukrainian SSR (Materials for the Fauna). Publishing House of AS UkrSSR, Kyiv, 1–426. [In Ukrainian]

Naglov, V. A., H. E. Tkach. 1998. Small mammals (Mammalia: Insectivora, Rodentia) as haystack dwellers. Vestnik zoologii, 32 (3): 77–84. https://shorturl.at/iMUVW

Novitsky, R. O., V. I. Domnich. 2011. Fundamentals of Hunting Science: Study Guide. Artlogos, Dnipro, 1–172. https://shorturl.at/ajqZ7 [In Ukrainian]

Portenko, L. A. 1928. Dnipro River and Dnipro Region. The notes of excursionist of a hunter in the middle reaches of the Dnipro. State Publ. House. Moscow, Leningrad, 1–182. [In Russian]

Prokopenko, S. P. 1989. Fall net, cache, bituminous tar. In: Methods of Study and Protection of Birds of Prey (Methodical recommendations). USSR State Committee for Nature Protection, Moscow, 55–60. [In Russian]

Prydatko-Dolin, V. 2021. Leonid Portenko (1896–1972)—world famous naturalist, participant of expeditions to the Arctic and Far East. Geo&Bio, 21: 35–57. [In Ukrainian] https://doi.org/10.15407/gb2106

Prydatko-Dolin, V. 2022. The unexplored maternity dens survey of the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) on Wrangel and Herald islands in 1982. Theriologia Ukrainica, 24: 184–209. [In Ukrainian] http://doi.org/10.15407/TU2416

Pysanets, E. M. 2009. Zoological collections of Ukraine: importance, current state and prospects of development. In: Natural Museology: Theory and Practice. Materials of the All-Ukrainian Conference. Lviv, Kamianets-Podilskyi, 9–17. [In Ukrainian]

Radchuk, V. 1963. Trapping of hares in Ukraine. Hunting and hunting economy, No. 1: 11–13. [In Russian]

Rekovets, L. Topachevsky Vadym Oleksandrovych, a mammalogist, evolutionist, and science organizer. Novitates Theriologicae, 14: 335–338. [In Ukrainian]

Selezhynsky, G. V. 1969. Animals-Builders. Scientific and Popular Edition. Naukova Dumka, Kyiv, 1–104. [In Ukrainian]

Shcherbak, M. M. 1977. In Search of Rare Animals. Naukova Dumka, Kyiv, 1–148. [In Ukrainian]

Shevchenko, L. S., S. I. Zolotukhina. 2005. Mammals. Issue 2. Insectivores, bats, lagomorphs. Zool. Mus. of the National Museum of Natural History of Ukraine. Kyiv, 1–228. [In Russian]

Shevchenko, S. M., V. M. Tyshchenko, I. V. Davydenko. 2015. The fund collection of the Museum of forest mammals and birds named after Professor O. O. Salhansky (Kyiv). Proceedings of the National Museum of Natural History, 13: 111–118. [In Ukrainian] https://bit.ly/33gb7PR

Shydlovsky, I. 2012. The History of Museology and Zoological Museums at Universities in Ukraine. Ivan Franko University of Lviv, Lviv, 1–112. [In Ukrainian] https://shorturl.at/lqQRV

Soboleva, O. 2017a. Interpretation of ‘field’ researches in the professional work of Ukrainian zoologists. Pages of History: a collection of papers, 43: 108–119. [In Ukrainian] https://shorturl.at/blR89

Soboleva, O. 2017b. ‘Walking into nature’: professional identity and research practices in Ukrainian field zoology. In: Hrymych, M., O. Soboleva (eds). Field: a collection of scientific works on the history, theory and methodology of field research. Volume 2. Dulyby, Kyiv, 39–74. [In Ukrainian]

Sokur, I. T. 1940. On the fauna of birds and mammals of partisan forest protective strips of Henichesk district. Proceedings of the Research Zoological and Biological Institute, 8–9: 115–121. [In Ukrainian]

Sokur, I. T. 1961. Historical Changes and Use of Mammal Fauna of Ukraine. Published by the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kyiv, 1–84. [In Ukrainian]

Tatarynov, K. A. 1951. Finding of the long-eared night owl (Myotis bechsteini) in the Lviv region. Scientific notes of the Lviv Museum of Natural History of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, 1: 198–201. [In Ukrainian] https://shorturl.at/jnwAQ

Tatarynov, K. A. 1956. Mammals of the Western Regions of Ukraine. Publ. House of AS UkrSSR, Kyiv, 1–188. [In Ukrainian]

Tshikolovets, V. V. 2005. The Butterflies of Ladakh (N.-W. India). Kyiv, 1–176. (Series: Butterflies of Palaearctic Asia; Vol. 5). ISSN 1810-8199

Topachevsky, V. A. 1969. Mole Rats (Spalacidae). Nauka, Leningrad, 1–248. (Series: Fauna of the USSR. Mammals; vol. 3, issue 3). [In Russian]

Tyshchenko, V. 2002. Chapter III. Searching and methods of bat capturing. In: Zagorodniuk I. (ed.). Bats of Ukraine and Adjacent Countries: a Guide for Field Investigations. Kyiv, 39–62. (Series: Proceedings of the Theriological School; Vol. 3). ISBN 966-02-2476-1. https://shorturl.at/CHIJ9

Veselskyi, M. 2022. Drawing as a mean of displaying zoological information (about the author’s experience). Novitates Theriologicae, 13: 130–135. http://doi.org/10.53452/nt1352

Voliansky, B. E. 1924. Materials for the study of fauna of terrestrial vertebrates of Odesa region. 1. Notes during a trip to Balta and in the Balta district. Yuzhnaia okhota [Southern hunting], No. 5–6: 16–20. [In Ukrainian] https://u.to/1UQfIA

Zagorodniuk, I. V., V. V. Tkach. 1996. The present state of fauna and the historical changes of abundance of the bats (Chiroptera) in the territory of Ukraine. Reports of the NAS of Ukraine, No. 5: 136–142. [In Ukrainian]

Zagorodniuk, I., L. Godlewska, 2001. Bats on the collections of zoological museums of Ukraine: review and phenological analysis of data. In: Zagorodniuk, I. (ed.). Migration Status of Bats in Ukraine. Ukrainian Theriological Society, Kyiv, 122–156. (Series: Novitates Theriologicae; Pars 6). [In Ukrainian] https://shorturl.at/BCGT9

Zagorodniuk, I. 2002. Field Key to Small Mammals of Ukraine. National Museum of Natural History, NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, 1–60. (Series: Proceedings of the Theriological School; Vol. 5). [In Ukrainian]https://shorturl.at/lyHW0

Zagorodniuk, I. 2003. Price of animal life from the viewpoint of zoologist. Ecosphera (Uzhhorod), No. 9–10: 10–14. [In Ukrainian] https://u.to/ZUUfIA

Zagorodniuk, I. 2006. Anthropogenic traps and survival of animals in transformed environment. In: Ed. Borejko, V. E. (ed.). Tribune–12. Proceedings of 2^nd International Conference for Wild Nature. Lotos Press house, Kyiv, 160–171. [In Ukrainian] https://shorturl.at/qFKUV

Zagorodniuk, I. 2008. Sibling and morphologically closed species of mammals in collections of zoological museum: main results and prospects of investigations. In: Skilsky, I. (ed.). Modern Museums. Scientific and Exposition Work. DruckArt, Chernivtsi, 25–34. [In Ukrainian] https://shorturl.at/sFHSZ

Zagorodniuk, I., M. Korobchenko.2008. Rare mammal fauna of eastern Ukraine: composition and distribution of rare species. In: Zagorodniuk, I. (ed.). Rarity Mammal Fauna and Its Protection. Luhansk, 107–156. (Series: Proceedings of the Theriological School; Vol. 9). [In Ukrainian]

Zagorodniuk, I. V. 2013. Zoological collections as source of biographical information: towards history of investigations of Anatol Argyropulo and Boris Popov. In: Practical Topics of Natural Museology. Natl. Mus. Nat. Hist., NAS Ukraine, Kyiv, 15–16. ISBN 978-966-02-7001-5. [In Ukrainian] https://bit.ly/3sZCRkT

Zagorodniuk, I., I. Emelyanov, O. Chervonenko.2014. Zoological collections and museumsas centres of biodiversity investigations. In:Zagorodniuk,I. (ed.). Zoological Collections and Museums. National Museum of Natural History, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Kyiv, 6–9. ISBN 978-966-02-7388-7. [In Ukrainian] https://shorturl.at/zCGXY

Zagorodniuk, I. 2015. Bohdan Voliansky as bright person in Ukrainian zoology of 1920–1930s. Visnyk of the Lviv University. Series Biology, 69: 3–19. [In Ukrainian] https://shorturl.at/lACZ5

Zagorodniuk, I., O. Chervonenko. 2015. Natural history collections as the basis of fundamental research of nature diversity. Natural History Museums: The Role in Education and Science. Part 2. (Proceedings of the IV Internat. Sci. Conf.). NMNH NAS of Ukraine; Ed. by I. Zagorodniuk. Kyiv, 23–25. ISBN 978-966-02-7728-1. [In Ukrainian]

Zagorodniuk, I., M. Korobchenko, M. Pidhainy. 2015. The oldest collected samples of Ellobius talpinus s. l. (Rodentia) in natural history museums of Ukraine: an investigation into the history of collections. Proceedings of the National Museum of Natural History, 13: 101–110. [In Ukrainian] https://bit.ly/3km0jZp

Zagorodniuk, I. 2017. Zoological collections as a source of information about the state and changes of fauna, communities, and populations. Novitates Theriologicae, 10: 183–189. [In Ukrainian]

Zagorodniuk, I., Parkhomenko, V. 2018. Boris Valkh and the development of zoology and museology in the East of Ukraine. The Journal of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Series Biology, 31: 72–98. [In Ukrainian] http://doi.org/10.26565/2075-5457-2018-31-8

Zagorodniuk, I. 2020. Distribution and variation of mice group Sylvaemus microps & uralensis in Eastern Europe: fragmentation and clines. Theriologia Ukrainica, 20: 91–104. http://doi.org/10.15407/TU2012

Zagorodniuk, I. 2021a. Ground squirrels of the war: a history of zoological research and Spermophilus collections in the Reichskommissariat Ukraine. Proceedings of the State Natural History Museum (Lviv), 37: 17–38. [In Ukrainian] https://doi.org/10.36885/nzdpm.2021.37.17-38

Zagorodniuk, I. V. 2021b. The phenomenon of Theodosius Dobrzhansky: to the 100th anniversary of the beginning of his scientific research in Kyiv (1921–1924). Visnyk NAS of Ukraine, No. 2: 49–68. [In Ukrainian] https://doi.org/10.15407/visn2021.02.049

Zagorodniuk, I. 2022. Zoological museums and mammal collections in Kyiv for the last two centuries: history, values, and prospects. Geo&Bio, 22: 37–62. [In Ukrainian] http://doi.org/10.15407/gb2205

Zagorodniuk, I., L. Prokopchuk. 2022. Valerian Bondarenko, a taxidermist and researcher of whales. Novitates Theriologicae, 15: 215–218. [In Ukrainian]

Zagorodniuk, I. 2023a. A hedgehog from Luxembourg: the story of a specimen as evidence of migrations of museum collections between Kharkiv and Kyiv in the 1930s. The Journal of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Series Biology, 40: 4–18. [In Ukrainian] https://doi.org/10.26565/2075-5457-2023-40-1

Zagorodniuk, I. 2023b. Local faunas, voucher samples and biodiversity assessments. Scientific Papers of the National Park Nyzhniosulsky, 3: 4–14. [In Ukrainian]

Zolotarev, V. P., E. V. Sharuda, S. P. Buhkalo. 1978. Pests insects of collection materials in the Museum of Natural History of Kharkov State University and their control. Bulletin of Kharkiv University, 164: 81–83. [In Russian]