The professor Marinkelle he poses for BBC Mundo holding an eagle egg, one of the most significant items in his extensive collection.

The most extensive collection in the world, spanning 25,000 eggs of birds from more than a hundred countries, it is found in Colombia, specifically in Villa de Leyva, Boyacá, where he guards jealously at the Instituto Alexander von Humboldt.

The professor Marinkelle, of Dutch nationality, was born July 1, 1925 in Vienna.

Since 1963, had been associated to the University of the Andes, where he established the Center for Research in Microbiology and Parasitology, Tropical (Cimpat), and the Museum of Natural History.

The professor was a surgeon trained at the University of Utrecht (the Netherlands), and possessed a doctorate in biology awarded by the University of Antwerp (Belgium). Also had majors in tropical medicine and hygiene, medical mycology clinic, health law, as well as in parasitology and medical entomology, in addition to a master's degree in parasitology applied to the University of London.

The collection, which was assembled by the Dutch medical Cornelis Johanes Marinkelle from 1914 until 2001, it was donated to the institute, which is considering the option of displaying this valuable treasure oológico to the public.

Copies of this collection come from the five continents and vary in colors and sizes, from the tiny egg the hummingbird to the largest, which belong to birds of prey and condors.

These eggs are organized in 4,600 boxes that were designed by the collector.

Dr. Marinkelle was also the founder of the Center for Research in Tropical Microbiology and Parasitology at the University of the Andes.

In the year 2001, professor Marinkelle made a remarkable donation of 25,600 eggs to the biological collections of the Humboldt Institute, whose headquarters in Villa de Leyva is unique in its kind in Latin America.

This set oológico, which has a unquestionable scientific value, it also has great historical relevance, as it includes specimens collected prior to 1899 to more than a hundred countries.

The collection consists of specimens in dry, mostly from clutches complete, covering a variety of colors and sizes, from the egg is smaller than 9 mm, a hummingbird to that of an ostrich that reaches 172 mm

Wednesday, January 18, 2012, the professor Cornelis Johannes Marinkelle died.

Photographer: Francisco Nieto Montaño.