Monsieur Barau in Barau's Petrel … in French (1 Viewer)

I think there´s little doubts that the endangered Barau's Petrel (Bulweria) Pterodroma baraui, commemorates the French ornithologists (one of very few, local birdwatchers and co-author of the Field Guide Oiseaux de la Réunion) as well as Land Owner (successful Sugar cane farmer) on the French Island Réunion, East of Africa: Charles Armand Barau (1921–1989), who collected the first specimen.

This Petrel was described in: Jouanin, C. 1963. Un pétrel noveau de la Reunion Bulweria baraui. Bulletin Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle 35 (6) Serie 2: 593-597.

The type description starts with the sentences:

"Le 28 arvril dernier un Pétrel se laissait capture à la main, sans aucune difficulté, au Barachois, la plage de Saint-Denis, chef-lieu de l’île de la Réunion. Apporté à notre correspondant M. Armand BARAU, qui dépense beaucoup d’activité et dynamisme pour rassembler des informations inédites sur l’avifaune de cette contrée, celui-ci le reconnut aussitôt pour nom de Pterodroma (que nous croyons préférable de réunir au genre Bulweria), mais d’une èspece qu’il n’avait encore jamais vue. Il nous l’adressa par avion et quatre jour après sa capture, l’oisseau était rendu au laoratoire d’ornithologie du Museum de Paris."

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… and on the last page:

"Nous avons dédié à M. Armand BARAU, ingénieur agronome, ce nouveau Pétrel de la Réunion: qu’il y trouve un témoignage de notre gratitude pour la part active qu’il prend à l’inventaire de l’avifaune bourbonienne. "

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With only limited knowledge (close to none!) of French I hope that any of Bird Forums readers feel like translating those two quotes for me!? If so, please as accurate as possible, as I would like to quote them myself in Swedish. And don´t hesitate to remark on any errors that I might have done transcribing it.

Was that first Specimen caught alive? And in what year?

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Anyone more curious of this Petrel also see:
● Jouanin, C. 1964. Notes sur lʼavifaune de la Réunion. Jouanin, Christian. 1964. L'Oiseau et la Revue Française d'Ornithologie 34: 84-85.
● Jouanin, C & F B Gill. 1967. Recherche du Pétrel de Barau, Pterodroma baraui. L'Oiseau et la Revue Française d'Ornithologie 37: 1-19.

PS. And just for the fun of it ... here´s (attached) the cover of "his" book ... and a photo of Monsieur Barau himself .

Calalp said:

This Petrel was described in: Jouanin, C. 1963. Un pétrel noveau de la Reunion Bulweria baraui. Bulletin Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle 35 (6) Serie 2: 593-597.

The type description starts with the sentences:… and on the last page:
With only limited knowledge (close to none!) of French I hope that any of Bird Forums readers feel like translating those two quotes for me!? If so, please as accurate as possible, as I would like to quote them myself in Swedish. And don´t hesitate to remark on any errors that I might have done transcribing it.

Was that first Specimen caught alive? And in what year?

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Here's an attempt at a translation :

"Le 28 avril dernier un Pétrel se laissait capturer à la main, sans aucune difficulté, au Barachois, la plage de Saint-Denis, chef-lieu de l’île de la Réunion. Apporté à notre correspondant M. Armand BARAU, qui dépense beaucoup d’activité et dynamisme pour rassembler des informations inédites sur l’avifaune de cette contrée, celui-ci le reconnut aussitôt pour nom de*Pterodroma*(que nous croyons préférable de réunir au genre*Bulweria), mais d’une èspece qu’il n’avait encore jamais vue. Il nous l’adressa par avion et quatre jours après sa capture, l’oiseau était rendu au laboratoire d’ornithologie du Museum de Paris."

“On the 28th of April last, a Petrel allowed itself to be taken in the hand, with no difficulty, at the Barachois, the beach of Saint-Denis, capital of the isle of Réunion. Brought to our correspondant M. Armand BARAU, who spends a good deal of activity and dynamism in order to collect unpublished information on the avifauna of that country, he recognised it immediately as a Pterodroma (which we would prefer to combine with the genus Bulweria), but of a kind he had never seen before. He sent it to us by air, and, four days after its capture, the bird was brought to the ornithological laboratory of the Paris Museum.”

… and on the last page:
"Nous avons dédié à M. Armand BARAU, ingénieur agronome, ce nouveau Pétrel de la Réunion: qu’il y trouve un témoignage de notre gratitude pour la part active qu’il prend à l’inventaire de l’avifaune bourbonienne.*"

“We have dedicated to M. Armand BARAU, agronomical engineer, this new Petrel of Réunion: let it bear witness to our gratitude for the active part he takes in the inventory of the avifauna of Bourbon Island” [the former name of Réunion I believe].

It appears the bird was taken alive, yes, but I'm not sure of the year.

Le 28 avril dernier, un Pétrel se laissait capture à la main, sans aucune difficulté, au Barachois, la plage de Saint-Denis, chef-lieu de l’île de la Réunion. Apporté à notre correspondant M. Armand BARAU, qui dépense beaucoup d’activité et dynamisme pour rassembler des informations inédites sur l’avifaune de cette contrée, celui-ci le reconnut aussitôt pour un oiseau du type générique désigné dans les ouvrages classiques sous le nom de Pterodroma (que nous croyons préférable de réunir au genre Bulweria), mais d’une espèce qu’il n’avait encore jamais vue. Il nous l’adressa par avion et quatre jour après sa capture, l’oiseau était rendu au laboratoire d’ornithologie du Muséum de Paris.

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(There's a pdf that includes this paper here. You had forgotten a line in the middle of the text.)

"On the last 28 April, a petrel allowed to be caught by hand without any difficulty, at the Barachois, the beach of Saint-Denis, capital of the Réunion island. Brought to our correspondent Mr Armand BARAU, who spends a lot of activity and dynamism to gather new information on the avifauna of this region, the latter immediately recognized it as a bird of the generic type referenced in the classical literature under the name Pterodroma (which we think preferable to merge with the genus Bulweria), but of a species that he had never seen before. He addressed it to us by plane and four days after its capture, the bird had reached the laboratory of ornithology at the Museum of Paris."

Nous avons dédié à M. Armand BARAU, ingénieur agronome, ce nouveau Pétrel de la Réunion: qu’il y trouve un témoignage de notre gratitude pour la part active qu’il prend à l’inventaire de l’avifaune bourbonienne.

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"We dedicated to Mr Armand BARAU, agronomist, this new Petrel of the Réunion: may he find there a token of our appreciation for the active role he is taking in the inventory of the avifauna of Bourbon."

The bird was caught and sent to France alive. The year must have been 1963 (the journal issue is dated 1963, but the name is usually dated 1964, so it presumably appeared early in the latter year).

Another (well done) job well done!

Thanks Dave and Laurent, "quick as cobra's" ... and an extra little plus to Laurent for pointing out that missed line!

l_raty said:

You had forgotten a line in the middle of the text.)

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That´s the awkward side of scribbling down a language of which you don´t understand, when the meaning of it is hidden, just typing without insight of any obvious (for the one who does understand) lost context. That´s excactly why I´ve been (and still, in forthcoming threads, will be) in need of you helpful guys "out there"!

I´m just typing, scrawling or scribbling, totally in the dark, hoping for the best. And; Voilà! Translated and done! So far it works ...

Internet and the kindness of people are truly impressive!

Once again: thanks!

Monsieur Barau ... over and out!

Yes, thank you Laurent, I thought it didn't make much sense ...

l_raty said:

(There's a pdf that includes this paper here. You had forgotten a line in the middle of the text.)

"On the last 28 April, a petrel allowed to be caught by hand without any difficulty, at the Barachois, the beach of Saint-Denis, capital of the Réunion island. Brought to our correspondent Mr Armand BARAU, who spends a lot of activity and dynamism to gather new information on the avifauna of this region, the latter immediately recognized it as a bird of the generic type referenced in the classical literature under the name Pterodroma (which we think preferable to merge with the genus Bulweria), but of a species that he had never seen before. He addressed it to us by plane and four days after its capture, the bird had reached the laboratory of ornithology at the Museum of Paris."

"We dedicated to Mr Armand BARAU, agronomist, this new Petrel of the Réunion: may he find there a token of our appreciation for the active role he is taking in the inventory of the avifauna of Bourbon."

The bird was caught and sent to France alive. The year must have been 1963 (the journal issue is dated 1963, but the name is usually dated 1964, so it presumably appeared early in the latter year).

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Perhaps I can help a bit here because Armand Barau was a close friend and mentor during my stays on La Réunion in 1964 and 1967.

Armand Barau was a leading business man and prominent figure on the island. He was deeply interested in birds generally and in the conservation of the birds of La Reunion.

He was very proud of his role in the discovery of Barau's Petrel. The type specimen was found on the beach, alive, in April 1963, taken to Armand Barau, who sent to Christian Jouanin at the Paris Museum. Christian, Robert Storer, and I met on La Reunion in November 1964 to search for the nesting cliffs of the new petrel, and finally succeeded as described in Jouanin and Gill 1967. Armand Barau generously supported our field work.

Nice post Frank!

incidentally, that is a species for which the opus page and the birdforum gallery has no photos. Anyone has one (that you have taken yourself)?

Niels

Thanks Frank, for that little extra insight of first-hand experience!!

Just a short summary ... to get things right: After these Posts I´ve changed my entry slightly (compare to Post #1):

● the endangered Barau's Petrel (Bulweria) Pterodroma baraui JOUANIN 1963, commemorate the French ornithologist (one of very few, local birdwatchers), conservationist and co-author of the Field Guide Oiseaux de la Réunion as well as Land Owner (successful Sugar cane farmer), leading business man and prominent figure on the French Island Réunion, East of Africa: Charles Armand Barau (1921–1989), who was handed the first specimen (caught by a local islander, by hand 28th of April 1863), which Mr. Barau immediately recognized as a new species and rapidly forwarded it (alive!), by air, to Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (and Christian Jouanin) in Paris.

My actual entry, as my far more detailed manuscript, is in Swedish ... but, in short, something, approximately, like that.

Cheers!