Editing René Lesson

{{Short description|French surgeon, naturalist, ornithologist, and herpetologist (1794–1849)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
[[File:René Primevère Lesson.jpg|thumb|Portrait of Lesson by [[Ambroise Tardieu|Tardieu]] (1827)]]
'''René Primevère Lesson''' (20 March 1794 – 28 April 1849) was a French [[surgery|surgeon]], [[natural history|naturalist]], [[ornithologist]], and [[herpetologist]].

== Biography ==
Lesson was born at [[Rochefort, Charente-Maritime|Rochefort]], and entered the Naval Medical School in Rochefort at the age of sixteen. He served in the [[French Navy]] during the [[Napoleonic Wars]]; in 1811, he was third surgeon on the frigate ''Saale'', and in 1813, was second surgeon on the ''Regulus''.<ref name=RPL>[http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/pharm_0035-2349_1954_num_42_142_9213_t1_0341_0000_3 Persée] Un pharmacien de la marine et voyageur naturaliste : R.-P Lesson</ref>

In 1816, Lesson changed his classification to [[pharmacist]]. He served on [[Louis Isidore Duperrey|Duperrey]]'s round-the-world voyage of [[French ship Astrolabe (1811)|''La Coquille'']] (1822–1825), of which he collected [[natural history]] specimens with his fellow surgeon [[Prosper Garnot]] and officer [[Jules Dumont d'Urville|Dumont d'Urville]].<ref name= RPL/> During his visits to the [[Moluccas]] and [[New Guinea]], Lesson became the first naturalist to see [[birds of paradise]] in the wild.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Sn6-x8lo3a8C&pg=PA113 New Guinea: crossing boundaries and history] by Clive Moore</ref>

On returning to [[Paris]], he spent seven years preparing the section on vertebrates for the official account of the expedition: "''Voyage autour du monde entrepris par ordre du Gouvernement sur la corvette La Coquille''" (published from 1826 to 1839).<ref>Statement based on a translation of an equivalent article at the [[French Wikipedia]].</ref> During this time period, he also produced "''Manuel d'Ornithologie''" (1828), "''Traité d'Ornithologie''" (1831), "''Centurie Zoologique''" (1830–1832) and "''Illustrations de Zoologie''" (1832–35).<ref>[http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=au%3ALesson%2C+R.+P.&fq=&dblist=638&start=11&qt=next_page WorldCat Search] (publications)</ref>{{better source needed|date=August 2024}} Lesson also published several [[monograph]]s on [[hummingbird]]s and one book on birds of paradise:
* ''Histoire naturelle des oiseaux-mouches. ouvrage orné de planches''... (1829–1831).
* ''Histoire naturelle des Colibris suivie d'un supplement a l'histoire naturelle des oiseaux-mouches'' (1831–32).
* ''Les trochilidées ou les colibris et les oiseaux-mouches'' (1832).
* ''Histoire naturelle des oiseaux de paradis et des épimaques; ouvrage orné de planches, dessinées et gravées par les meilleurs artistes'' (1835).

In the field of [[herpetology]] he described many new species of amphibians<ref>Amphibian Species of the World. http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/.</ref> and reptiles.<ref>The Reptile Database. http://www.reptile-database.org.</ref>

On 3 February 1827, he married the artist and scientific illustrator [[Marie Clémence Lesson|Clémence Dumont de Sainte-Croix]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gw.geneanet.org/barbierd?lang=fr&iz=43465&p=rene+primevere&n=lesson|title=Généalogie de René Primevère LESSON|website=Geneanet|language=fr|access-date=3 September 2018}}</ref> Dumont de Sainte-Croix along with her sister [[Zoë Dumont de Sainte-Croix]] illustrated plates in Lesson's publications.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.uni-stuttgart.de/hi/gnt/dsi2/index.php?table_name=dsi&function=details&where_field=id&where_value=3831|title=Lesson, Marie Clémence|date=2016|website=uni-stuttgart.de|publisher=[[Stuttgart Database of Scientific Illustrators 1450–1950|Database of Scientific Illustrators, University of Stuttgart]] |access-date=3 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.uni-stuttgart.de/hi/gnt/dsi2/index.php?table_name=dsi&function=details&where_field=id&where_value=3830|title=Dumont, Zoë|date=2016|website=uni-stuttgart.de|publisher=Database of Scientific Illustrators, University of Stuttgart|access-date=3 September 2018}}</ref>

From 1831, he served as a professor of pharmacy, and following a series of promotions, became the top-ranking naval pharmacist at Rochefort (1835).<ref>[http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2830902581.html Encyclopedia.com] Lesson, René-Primevère</ref> His experience as a [[ship's surgeon]] resulted in his two-volume "''Manuel d'histoire naturelle medicale, et de pharmacographie''" (1833), intended as a handbook for naval surgeons.{{citation needed|date=May 2013}}

He became a corresponding member of the ''[[Académie de Médecine]]'' in 1828, later becoming a correspondent of the ''[[Académie des Sciences]]'' (1833).<ref name=CF>[http://correspondancefamiliale.ehess.fr/document.php?id=2208 Lesson, René Primevère (1794-1849)] Correspondance familiale</ref> He received the ''[[Légion d'honneur]]'' in 1847.

In 1847, Lesson presented a division of human races based on simple color terms: White for Caucasians, Dusky for South Asians, Orange for Austronesians, Yellow for East Asians, Red for Indigenous Americans, and Black for Africans. This model achieved moderate use among ethnologists.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Charles Hamilton |last2=Kneeland |first2=Samuel |date=1851 |title=The Natural History of the Human Species |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oUgLAQAAIAAJ |publisher=Gould and Lincoln}}</ref>

René Primevère Lesson is sometimes confused with his brother, [[Pierre Adolphe Lesson]] (1805–1888), who participated on the ''[[French ship Astrolabe (1811)|Astrolabe]]'' expedition (as the ''Coquille'' had been renamed) in 1826–29, under the command of [[Jules Dumont d'Urville]].<ref name=CF/>

==Amphibian and reptile species described by Lesson==
listed in the order they were described (only species still recognized are listed)

*''[[Litoria aurea]]'' <small>(Lesson, 1826)</small> as'' Rana aurea'' (green and golden bell frog)
*''[[Pleurodema thaul]]'' <small>(Lesson, 1826)</small> as'' Bufo thaul'' (Chile four-eyed frog)
*''[[Hylarana papua]]'' <small>(Lesson, 1826)</small> as'' Rana papua'' (Papua River frog)
*''[[Emoia cyanura]]'' <small>(Lesson, 1826)</small> as ''Scincus cyanurus'' (copper-tailed emo skink)
*''[[Lamprolepis smaragdina]]'' <small>(Lesson, 1826)</small> as ''Hinulia smaragdina'' (emerald tree skink)
*''[[Liolaemus chiliensis]]'' <small>(Lesson, 1826)</small> as ''Calotes chiliensis'' (Chilean tree lizard)
*''[[Ornithuroscincus noctua]]'' <small>(Lesson, 1826)</small> as ''Scincus noctua'' (moth skink)
*''[[Varanus douarrha]]'' <small>(Lesson, 1830)</small>
*''[[Emoia atrocostata]]'' <small>(Lesson, 1830)</small> as ''Scincus atrocostatus'' (mangrove skink)
*''[[Emoia cyanogaster]]'' <small>(Lesson, 1830)</small> as ''Scincus cyanogaster'' (green-bellied emo skink)
*''[[Enyalius brasiliensis]]'' <small>(Lesson, 1830)</small> as ''Lophurus brasiliensis'' (Brazilian fathead anole)
*''[[Gehyra oceanica]]'' <small>(Lesson, 1830)</small> as ''Gecko oceanicus'' (oceanic gecko)
*''[[Microlophus peruvianus]]'' <small>(Lesson, 1830)</small> as ''Stellio peruvianus'' (Peruvian coastal lizard)
*''[[Micropechis ikaheca]]'' <small>(Lesson, 1830)</small> as ''Coluber ikaheka'' (New Guinea small-eyed snake)
*''[[Naja kaouthia]]'' <small>Lesson, 1831</small> (monocled cobra)
*''[[Crocodylus palustris]]'' <small>Lesson, 1831</small> (mugger crocodile)
*''[[Euphlyctis hexadactylus]]'' <small>(Lesson, 1834)</small> as'' Rana hexadactyla'' (Indian bullfrog)
*''[[Draco bourouniensis]]'' <small>Lesson, 1834</small> (Buru flying lizard)

==Fish described by Lesson==
*''[[Scarus taeniopterus]]'' <small> Lesson 1829 </small>
*''[[Acanthurus bariene]]'' <small> Lesson 1831</small>
*''[[Abantennarius coccineus]]'' <small> (Lesson 1831)</small>
*''[[Arothron mappa]]'' <small> (Lesson 1831)</small>
*''[[Triodon macropterus]]'' <small> Lesson 1829 </small>
*''[[Nebrius ferrugineus]]'' <small> (Lesson 1831) </small>
*''[[Scuticaria tigrina]]'' <small> (Lesson 1828) </small>

==Lesson and the idea that counting in New Zealand proceeded by elevens==

On his return from his voyage on the ''Coquille'' in 1825, Lesson published a French translation of "Du Grand Océan, de ses îles et de ses côtes" written by the German botanist [[Adelbert von Chamisso]].<ref name="AVC1825">{{cite book |last=Von Chamisso |first=Adelbert |editor-last=Bajot |editor-first=Louis-Marie |title=Annales maritimes et coloniales, année 1825 — II.e partie — Tome 2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=780OAAAAYAAJ |location=Paris |publisher=L'imprimerie Royale |date=1825 |pages=1–41 |chapter=Du Grand Océan, de ses îles et de ses côtes: par A. de Chamisso, Docteur en philosophie, &c. &c.; traduit sur l'édition anglaise par R. P. Lesson, Médecin de la corvette ''la Coquille'', Pharmacien de la marine, Membre de plusieurs sociétés savantes, &c.}}</ref><ref name="JPS2020">{{cite journal |last= Overmann |first= Karenleigh A |date=2020 |title= The curious idea that Māori once counted by elevens, and the insights it still holds for cross-cultural numerical research |url=https://osf.io/9ynsa/download |journal=Journal of the Polynesian Society |volume=129 |issue=1 |pages=59–84 |doi=10.15286/jps.129.1.59-84 |access-date=24 July 2020|doi-access=free }}</ref> In the article, von Chamisso had claimed that the number system of New Zealand was based on twenty: "…de l'E. de la mer du Sud … c'est là qu'on trouve premierement le système arithmétique fondé sur un échelle de vingt, comme dans la Nouvelle-Zélande (2)..." […east of the South Sea … is where we first find the arithmetic system based on a scale of twenty, as in New Zealand (2)...].<ref name="AVC1825"/>{{rp|27}} Lesson inserted the footnote (2) to mark this claim as an error: "(2) Erreur. Le système arithmétique des Zélandais est undécimal, et les Anglais sont les premiers qui ont propagé cette fausse idée. (L.)" [(2) Error. The Zealander arithmetic system is undecimal, and the English are the first to propagate this misconception. (L).]"<ref name="AVC1825"/>{{rp|27}} The term "undécimal" was possibly a printer's error that conjoined the phrase "un decimal," which would have correctly identified the New Zealand number system as decimal.<ref name="JPS2020" /> [[Undecimal]] was interpreted to mean "counting by elevens," as a parallel construction to the term "duodecimal" for twelve-based counting. The mention of "the English" likely referred to [[Samuel Lee (linguist)|Samuel Lee]] and [[Thomas Kendall]], as their 1820 grammar of the New Zealand language had been von Chamisso's source.<ref name="JPS2020" /><ref>{{cite book |last=Von Chamisso |first=Adelbert |editor-last= Von Kotzebue |editor-first=Otto |title=A voyage of discovery, into the South Sea and Beering's Straits, for the purpose of exploring a north-east passage, undertaken in the years 1815–1818, at the expense of his highness the Chancellor of the Empire, Count Romanzoff, in the ship Rurick: Vol. III |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=00YbAAAAYAAJ |location=London |publisher=Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown |date=1821 |pages=439–442|chapter=Corrections and remarks }}</ref>

Regardless of whether his 1825 use of "undécimal" originated as a printer's error or not, over the next several years, Lesson and his friend and shipmate [[Jules de Blosseville]] would deliberately embellish and attempt to establish as fact the idea that New Zealand had a [[base 11 number system]].<ref name="JPS2020" /> The idea was published in 1826 by the Italian geographer [[Adriano Balbi]] as the contents of a letter he received from Lesson, a missive that added an elevens-based numerical vocabulary (including terms meaning eleven squared and cubed) and details of its purported collection from New Zealand informants.<ref>{{cite book |last=Balbi |first= Adriano |title=Atlas ethnographique du globe, ou classification des peuples anciens et modernes d'aprés leur langue. Vol. 1, Discours préliminaire et introduction |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oV38C96IOBgC |location=Paris |publisher=Paul Renouard |date=1826 |pages=230–278 |chapter=Observations sur la classification des langues Océaniennes}}</ref> It was again mentioned in 1826 by the Hungarian astronomer [[Franz Xaver von Zach]], who reported it thirdhand as a letter written by Blosseville: "M. Nell de Bréanté écrit que, d'après les communications qu'il a reçues de M. de Blosseville, ... [en Nouvelle-Zélande], on a trouvé en usage un système de numération ''undécimal''" [Mr. Nell de Bréauté writes that, according to the communications he has received from M. de Blosseville, ... [in New Zealand], a system of ''undecimal'' numbering was found in use].<ref>{{cite book |last=Von Zach |first=Franz Xaver |editor-last=Saigey |editor-first=Emilé |title=Bulletin des sciences mathématiques, astronomiques, physiques et chimiques, 1ère section, tome V |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2FU7AQAAIAAJ |location=Paris |publisher=Bureau du Bulletin |date=1826 |pages=120–123 |chapter=Correspondance astronomique, géographique, hydrographique et statistique}}</ref>{{rp|121}} Lesson was also likely to have authored an undated, anonymous essay found among and published with the papers of the Prussian linguist [[Wilhelm von Humboldt]] in 1839.<ref>{{cite book |last=Von Humboldt |first=Wilhelm |date=1839 |title=Über die Kawi-Sprache aus der Insel Java, nebst einer Einleitung über die Verschiedenheit des menschlichen Sprachbaues und ihren Einsluss aus die geistige Entwickelung des Menschengeschlechts. Band III. Südsee-Sprachen, als östlicher Zweig des Malayischen |location=Berlin |publisher=F. Dümmler |pages=437–438, 763 |oclc=889950161}}</ref> The essay contains the most extensive detail of the known sources, mentioning [[Thomas Kendall]] by name and listing several [[North Island]] locations where the alleged informants were supposedly from, matters that would have been known to Lesson from his work and 1824 visit to that island.<ref name="JPS2020" /><ref>{{cite book |last=Duperrey |first=Louis Isidore |title=Voyage autour du monde, exécuté par ordre du Roi, sur la Corvette de Sa Majesté, la Coquille, pendant les années 1822, 1823, 1824 et 1825. Hydrographie et physique |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pWK39IqIYKwC |location=Paris |publisher=Arthus Bertrand |date=1829 |pages=84–87 |chapter=Tabléaux des routes parcourues par la Corvette de Sa Majesté, la Coquille, et des observations météorologiques faites a bord du batiment, pendant les années 1822, 1823, 1824 et 1825 |oclc=257721098}}</ref>

== Taxon named in his honor ==
===Algae===
*''[[Lessonia (alga)|Lessonia]]'' is a genus of large [[kelp]] native to the southern [[Pacific Ocean]] and named in René Lesson's honour, in 1825.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Searles|first=R. B.|date=1 January 1978|title=The genus Lessonia Bory (Phaeophyta, Laminariales) in Southern Chile and Argentina|journal=British Phycological Journal|volume=13|issue=4|pages=361–381|doi=10.1080/00071617800650421|doi-access=free}}</ref> Then 
*''[[Lessoniopsis]]'' (a brown algae) {{small|Reinke}} in 1903 was also named.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Lessoniopsis'' Reinke, 1903 |url=https://www.gbif.org/species/3195814 |website=www.gbif.org |access-date=16 June 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
===Fish===
*''[[Plectorhinchus lessonii]]'' <small>(Cuvier 1830) </small>

==Bibliography==

===By Lesson===
* ''Manuel d'ornithologie, ou Description des genres et des principales espèces d'oiseaux'', deux volumes, Roret, Paris, 1828.
* ''Histoire naturelle des oiseaux-mouches : ouvrage orné de planches dessinées et gravées par les meilleurs artistes'', deux volumes, Arthus Bertrand, Paris, 1829.
* ''Histoire naturelle des colibris, suivie d'un supplément à l'histoire naturelle des oiseaux-mouches. Ouvrage orné de planches dessinées et gravées par les meilleurs artistes, et dédié à M. le baron Cuvier'', Arthus Bertrand, Paris, 1830–1831.
* ''Centurie zoologique, ou, Choix d'animaux rares, nouveaux ou imparfaitement connus: enrichi de planches inédites, dessinées d'après nature par M. Prêtre, gravées et coloriées avec le plus grand soin'', F.G. Levrault, Bruxelles, 1830–1832.
* ''Traité d'ornithologie, ou Tableau méthodique des ordres, sous-ordres, familles, tribus, genres, sous-genres et races d'oiseaux'', Levrault, Paris, 1831.
* ''Illustrations de zoologie, ou, Recueil de figures d'animaux peintes d'après nature'', Arthus Bertrand, Paris, 1831–1835.
* ''Manuel d'Histoire Naturelle Médicale, et de Pharmacographie, ou tábleau synoptique, méthodique et descriptif des produits que la médecine et les arts empruntent à l'histoire naturelle'', Roret, Paris, 1833.
* ''Flore rochefortine, ou Description des plantes qui croissent spontanément ou qui sont naturalisées aux environs de la ville de Rochefort'', [s.n.] Rochefort, 1835.
* ''Histoire naturelle générale et particulière des mammifères et des oiseaux découverts depuis la mort de Buffon'', Pourrat Frères, Paris, 1834–1836.
* ''Prodrome d'une monographie des méduses'', Rochefort, Paris, 1837
* ''Voyage autour du monde, entrepris par ordre du gouvernement sur la Corvette La Coquille'', Pourrat frères, Paris, 1838–1839.
* ''Species des mammifères bimanes et quadrumanes, suivi d'un mémoire sur les Oryctéropes'', J.-B. Baillière, Paris, 1840.
* ''Les trochilidées ou Les colibris et les oiseaux-mouches : suivis d'un index général, dans lequel sont décrites et classées méthodiquement toutes les races et espèces du genre trochilus'',  Arthus Bertrand, Paris, 1840.
* ''Moeurs, instinct et singularités de la vie des Animaux Mammifères'', Paulin, Paris, 1842.
* ''Fastes historiques. Archéologie, bibliographie, etc. du département de la Charente-Inférieure'', coll. Gustav. Bord., Rochefort, 1842.
* ''Histoire naturelle des zoophytes. Acalèphes'', deux volumes, Roret, Paris, 1843.
* ''Notice historique sur l'amiral Dumont d'Urville,... Mémoire envoyé au concours ouvert par l'Académie de Caen en 1844'', H. Loustau, Rochefort, 1844.
* ''Description de mammifères et d'oiseaux récemment découverts; précédée d'un Tableau sur les races humaines'', Lévêque, Paris, Veith, Carlsruhe, F. Bélisard, Pétersbourg, 1847.
* ''Nouveau manuel complet de l'éleveur d'oiseaux de volière et de cage ou Guide de l'oiselier : contenant la description des genres et des principales espèces d'oiseaux indigènes et exotiques'', nouveau édition, Roret, Paris, 1867.

===About Lesson===

* Baillière, J.B. (1840). ''Species des mammifères bimanes et quadrumanes; suivi d'un mémoire sur les Oryctéropes'', Paris.
* Duquy, Raymond (1995). ''René Primevère Lesson. Un voyage autour du monde''. in ''Aventures scientifiques. Savants en Poitou-Charentes du XVIe au XXe siècle'' (DHOMBRES J., dir.), Les éditions de l’Actualité Poitou-Charentes (Poitiers) : 136–147. {{ISBN|2-911320-00-X}}
* Lefèvre, M. A. (1850). ''Élogie historique de R.-P. Lesson''. Rochefort, France: Henry Loustau.
* Rallet, Louis. (1953). Un naturaliste saintongeais: René-Primevère Lesson (1794–1849). ''Annales de La Société des Sciences Naturelles de la Charente-Maritime'', vol. III, no. 8, pp.&nbsp;77–131.

==Taxon described by him==
*See [[:Category:Taxa named by René Lesson]]

==See also==
* [[European and American voyages of scientific exploration]]
* [[Undecimal#Alleged use by the Māori|Alleged use of undecimal numbers by the Māori]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=au%3ALesson%2C+Rene%CC%81+Primeve%CC%80re.&fq=&dblist=638&start=11&qt=next_page WorldCat Search] (publications by Lesson)

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lesson, Rene}}
[[Category:1794 births]]
[[Category:1849 deaths]]
[[Category:French military personnel of the Napoleonic Wars]]
[[Category:French military doctors]]
[[Category:French Navy officers]]
[[Category:French naturalists]]
[[Category:French pharmacists]]
[[Category:19th-century French physicians]]
[[Category:French ornithologists]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Ornithological writers]]
[[Category:Naval surgeons]]
[[Category:People from Rochefort, Charente-Maritime]]