Henry Walter Bates

Henry Walter Bates was an English naturalist and explorer who gave the first scientific account of mimicry in animals. He was most famous for his expedition to the rainforests of the Amazon with Alfred Russel Wallace, starting in 1848. Wallace returned in 1852, but lost his collection on the return voyage when his ship caught fire. When Bates arrived home in 1859 after a full eleven years, he had sent back over 14,712 species of which 8,000 were new to science. Bates wrote up his findings in his best-known work, The Naturalist on the River Amazons.

8 February 1825

Born on the same birth day (8 February): Adella Brown Bailey • Andrew Hoy • Benigno Aquino III • Danai Stratigopoulou • Marques Johnson • Sophie Kanza • William Jackson Harper • Yaroslav II of Vladimir

Born in the same month (February 1825): Carter Harrison Sr. • Jean-Baptiste Salpointe • Karl Möbius