Carl Peter Holbøll

Carl Peter Holbøll
Royal Inspector of South Greenland
In office 1828–1856
Preceded by	Ove Valentin Kielsen
Succeeded by	Jørgen Nielsen Møller
Royal Inspector of North Greenland
In office 1825–1828
Preceded by	Johannes West
Succeeded by	Ludvig Fasting
Personal details
Born	31 December 1795 Copenhagen, Denmark
Died	1856 North Atlantic
Occupation	Soldier, explorer, administrator

Carl Peter Holbøll (1795–1856) was an officer in the Danish Royal Navy, Greenland colonial officer and explorer of the Greenlandic fauna.

Holbøll served as Royal Inspector of Colonies and Whaling in North Greenland (1825–1828), and later as Inspector of South Greenland (1828–1856). During his tenure, he developed an interest in natural history and contributed significantly by sending extensive faunistic collections to zoologists in Copenhagen. For instance, Professor Johannes Theodor Reinhardt described the North American form of the red-necked grebe, naming it Podiceps holboellii (now Podiceps grisegena holboellii). Holbøll himself authored a treatise on Greenlandic birds. In the paper, he described the hoary redpoll (Linota hornemanni, now known as Carduelis hornemanni), naming it in honor of botanist Jens Wilken Hornemann. Hornemann had previously received plant collections from Holbøll and named a new species Arabis holboellii (now known as Boechera holboellii).

Holbøll was also a skilled amateur botanist and entomologist. He wrote a mathematics textbook for Greenlandic schools, which remained in use for about a century.

Tragically, after visiting Denmark, Holbøll boarded the brig Baldur, which sank en route to Greenland, resulting in the loss of all on board.

Commemoration of Holbøll in species' names

• Krøyer's deep sea angler fish Ceratias holboelli (Krøyer, 1845) (Ceratiidae)
• Amphipod Phoxocephalus holboelli (Krøyer, 1842) (Phoxocephalidae)
• Amphipod Hippomedon holboelli (Krøyer, 1846) (Lysianassidae)
• Marine gastropod Colus holboelli (Møller, 1842) (Buccinidae)
• Marine gastropod Dolabrifera holboelli Bergh, 1872 (Aplysiidae)
• Freshwater gastropod Lymnaea holboelli (Møller, 1842) (Lymnaeidae)
• Flowering plant Boechera holboellii (Hornem.) Á.Löve & D.Löve (Brassicaceae)

References

• Biographical Appendix of The Dictionary of American Bird Names, Revised Edition, by Ernest A. Choate, The Harvard Common Press, 1985.Biographical information indicates Mr. Holboell died at sea.
• Henriksen, K. L. (1926) C. P. Holbøll. Entomologiske Meddelelser. 15 (5): 195, with portrait.