James John Walker
English chief engineer of the Royal Navy, entomologist, malacologist and scientific collector
About James John Walker
Lived 1851 – 1939 (aged 87). James John Walker was a British entomologist, chief engineer, scientific collector, malacologist and editor.
James John Walker (16 May 1851, Sheerness – 12 January 1939) was an English entomologist.
Walker was a marine engineer who trained at the Royal Navy dockyard in Sheerness and voyaged around most of the world, collecting insects when on land. His sister Adelaide married George Charles Champion (another entomologist) cementing their friendship. After his retirement, Walker lived in Oxford and became one of the editors of the Entomologist's Monthly Magazine. His house, in Summertown, a suburb of Oxford. was named Aorangi, a Māori name for Aoraki/Mount Cook, a favourite place visited on his travels.
Walker's collections from the Pacific, Australia, New Zealand and the Mediterranean are shared by the Natural History Museum, London and the Oxford University Museum which also conserves his British Coleoptera.
He was a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society (President 1919–20) and a Fellow of the Linnean Society.
Walker is commemorated in the scientific names of two species of lizards, Draco walkeri and Lerista walkeri, both described in 1891 by George Albert Boulenger of the British Museum (Natural History). The epithet of a tiny australian bat, delivered by Walker and described as species Nyctophilus walkeri, was given by the author Oldfield Thomas to honour Walker's many collections of specimens.
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Important facts
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Frequently asked questions
Who was James John Walker?
English chief engineer of the Royal Navy, entomologist, malacologist and scientific collector (1851–1939)
When was James John Walker born?
James John Walker was born on 16 May 1851.
When did James John Walker die?
James John Walker died on 12 January 1939.
What was James John Walker's occupation?
James John Walker was an entomologist, chief engineer, scientific collector, malacologist and editor.
What nationality was James John Walker?
James John Walker was British.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: James John Walker
· DBpedia: James John Walker (entomologist)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). James John Walker. https://biography.guide/james-john-walker/
MLA: "James John Walker." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/james-john-walker/.
Chicago: "James John Walker." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/james-john-walker/.
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