author
W. B. (William Bernhard) Tegetmeier
1816–1912
A lively Victorian naturalist and journalist, he became one of Britain’s best-known writers on pigeons, poultry, and bees. His work also fed into Charles Darwin’s research, linking practical animal breeding with some of the biggest scientific ideas of the 19th century.
1 Audiobook
Profitable poultry : Their management in health and disease
by W. B. (William Bernhard) Tegetmeier
About the author
Born on November 4, 1816, William Bernhardt Tegetmeier was an English naturalist, journalist, and author with a gift for making close observation feel useful and engaging. Although he trained in medicine, he became far better known for writing about the natural world, especially domestic birds and bees, and for explaining animal breeding to a wide readership.
Tegetmeier spent decades as the pigeon and poultry editor of The Field, building a reputation as a practical expert on fowl, pigeons, and beekeeping. He wrote many books and articles on natural history and domestic science, and he was also a founding member of the Savage Club. His long career made him a familiar name to Victorian and Edwardian readers interested in country life, animal breeding, and household knowledge.
He is especially remembered today for his friendship and correspondence with Charles Darwin. Tegetmeier supplied Darwin with observations and expertise on pigeons, poultry, and bees, helping to support research that fed into Darwin’s work on variation and natural selection. He died on November 19, 1912, leaving behind the image of a hardworking, curious writer who stood at the meeting point of everyday natural history and major scientific change.