The identity of F. Ris’s correspondent and odonate collector ”H. Spoerry jun. in Flums”, Switzerland

While working on the "history chapter" for the odonate fauna of the (Swiss) canton St Gallen, 1 came across a reference, in F. RIS’s 1890 paper (Mitt, schweiz. enl. Ges. 8: 194-207), to the Somatochlora arctica material, sent to him by [his] "Freund Hr. H. Spoerry jun. in Flums"(p. 198). Due to the kind assistance received from Mrs Esther Spoerry-Stdckli and Mr Max Spoerry, both of Flums, Switzerland, it was possible to ascertain the identity of this hitherto unknown odonate collector as HEINRICH SPOERRY-JACOB, artillery major and founder of the carbide manufacturing plant in Flums, born September 11, 1869 in Flums, deceased in an accident on the Matterhorn, August 16, 1907. An obituary appeared in the Neue Zurcher Zeilung of August 25, 1907, and was reprinted, with a portrait, in G. STRICKLER’s (1915) Chronik der Familie Spnrri, Orell Füssli, Zürich, pp. 130-137. The industrialist family Spoerry (also Spdrri) originates from the cantons of Luzern and Zurich, and was first recorded in the 15th century (G. STRICKLER & A. GESSNER, 1931. Hisi-biogr. Lexikon Schweiz 6: 478-479). The first name, "Heinrich”, occurs rather frequently in the genealogy, incl. during the period concerned, and his namesake, H. Spôrri of Zürich (1837-1906) was a well known local amateur botanist, therefore the abbreviated reference, as given by F. Ris, could only be "decoded” with the help of the living family members. Max Spoerry of Flums, at present aged 89, is a nephew of Ris’s collector, and still vividly remembers his uncle as an enthusiastic naturalist and sportsman, among whose favourite passions was hiking in the Flumserberg ridge of his native village.