. ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Thomas ▁worked ▁at ▁the ▁Natural ▁History ▁Museum ▁on ▁m amm als , ▁describing ▁about ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁new ▁species ▁and ▁sub species ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time . ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁museum ▁secretary ' s ▁office ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 6 , ▁transfer ring ▁to ▁the ▁zo ological ▁department ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 1 , ▁Thomas ▁married ▁Mary ▁K ane , ▁daughter ▁of ▁Sir ▁Andrew ▁Clark , ▁he ir ess ▁to ▁a ▁small ▁fortune , ▁which ▁gave ▁him ▁the ▁fin ances ▁to ▁h ire ▁m amm al ▁collect ors ▁and ▁present ▁their ▁spec im ens ▁to ▁the ▁museum . ▁He ▁also ▁did ▁field ▁work ▁himself ▁in ▁Western ▁Europe ▁and ▁South ▁America . ▁His ▁wife ▁shared ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁natural ▁history , ▁and ▁accompanied ▁him ▁on ▁collect ing ▁tri ps . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 6 , ▁when ▁William ▁Henry ▁F lower ▁took ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁department , ▁he ▁h ired ▁Richard ▁Ly dek ker ▁to ▁rear range ▁the ▁exhib itions , ▁allowing ▁Thomas ▁to ▁concent rate ▁on ▁these ▁new ▁spec im ens . ▁ ▁Thomas ▁viewed ▁his ▁tax onomy ▁efforts ▁from ▁the ▁scope ▁of ▁British ▁imperial ism . ▁" You ▁and ▁I ▁in ▁our ▁scientific ▁lives ▁have ▁seen ▁the ▁general ▁knowledge ▁of ▁M amm als ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁wonder fully ▁advanced ▁– ▁there ▁are ▁few ▁or ▁no ▁blank ▁areas ▁anymore ," ▁he ▁said ▁in ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁Ger rit ▁Smith ▁Miller . ▁ ▁Official ly