Charles George Nurse

Charles George Nurse (1862 Barnham – 5 November 1933, Tunbridge Wells) was an English military officer, naturalist, ornithologist and entomologist. Charles George Nurse was one of many British military officers who made significant contributions to knowledge of the natural history of India. Among his discoveries were a snake, a butterfly, an ant, a neuropteran and about 50 species of moths that he collected were described by G. Hampson and Lord Walsingham. Colonels Cameron and Bingham described 200 species of Hymenoptera from his collections. A species of mosquito that he discovered, Anopheles nursei caused malaria that affected the army campaigns in Mesopotamia.

Charles George was the eldest son of Rev. G.T. Nurse of Barnham and Euston and Mrs F.W. King of Bury St. Edmunds. He went to school at King Edward VI School before joining the Royal Military Academy. A linguist with a sound knowledge of Russian, Hindustani and several Oriental languages he rapidly advanced in his chosen career.

He lived at "Redcote", Rustwick, Rusthall Park after retirement and was a member of the Tunbridge Wells and Counties Clubs. He died of acute pneumonia. He is buried at Rusthall New Cemetery.

Nurse had a lifelong interest in birds and as many naturalists did he collected butterflies and moths. This was reinforced when Sir George Hampson and Lord Walsingham and George Hampson, published On moths collected at Aden and in Somaliland. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 16:257–283, pl. 10 [2] in 1896. This was based on his specimens and species new to science were described. He later widened his interest, to other orders of insects, especially Hymenoptera. At this time Indian Hymenoptera were neglected. Nurse described many new species and added greatly to knowledge of the group. Many Nurse Hymenoptera specimens were described by Charles Thomas Bingham, Peter Cameron (1907. Description of a new genus and some new species of Hymenoptera captured by Lieut.-Col. C.G. Nurse at Deesa, Matheran and Ferozepore. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 17: 1001-10012; 18: 130-1360 and Claude Morley in The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma.

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