White, Gilbert

Late-deafened, probably as a result of smallpox acquired at age 25. His hearing was variable, better at times than others, but always impaired to some degree. His work The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne is considered a classic in the field; it contains perceptive observations that anticipate Darwin's theory of evolution. In fact, Darwin read White's book and was inspired to study birds as a result, putting Darwin on the path towards his great theory. White also was the first person to recognize the harvest mouse, Britain's smallest mammal, and corrected other people's erroneous biological statements.