Please see below from David West - can anyone help?
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From: David West [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 21 July 2008 14:59
Subject: query for SHNH membeship
Fritz Müller (1822-1897), the German-Brazilian naturalist, referred to "dry-skin philosophers" at least twice, both times giving the phrase in English and in quotes. In a Portuguese report on his caddis fly studies in 1885 he defined them as "work-room men who limit themselves to the investigation of dry museum specimens, erect a host of new genera and species, waste an enormous amount of time in fruitless discussions of synonymy, and disregard the most important bases of a natural classification." Müller himself much preferred living or fresh material. In 1891, dismissed from his position as a Traveling Naturalist of the Museu Nacional, he used it again in a German letter.
The evidence is strong that he picked up the phrase from some English-speaker, and of course the sentiment is a familiar one among 19th century naturalists who decried the "species men," but can anyone identify the source?
David A. West
607 Giles Road
Blacksburg VA 24060
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