Etymologies; the beginning of the end, or .... (1 Viewer)

James Jobling said:

●Travaux de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de St.- Pétersbourg
1898 Alectoris graeca margaritae Davidoff, 29, p. 57+

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• Материалы для орнитологической фауны восточной Палестины и северной Петро-Аравии. (Materials for the ornithological fauna of eastern Palestine and northern Petro-Arabia.)

• О новой разновидности каменной куропатки (Caccabis chukar G. R. Gray) — Caccabis chukar var. margaritae. (A new variety of rock partridge (Caccabis chukar Gray) — Caccabis chukar var. margaritae.)

●Revista Forestal Baracoa. La Habana.
1981 Melanerpes superciliosus rosamariae Regalado-Ruiz, vol.7?, p.?

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●Jahrb. Mus. Poltawa (?Sbornik Poltavsk Muzeya) (see below)
1917 Cynchramus schoeniclus pereversievi Gavrilenko, 3-4, pp. 82+
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●Sbornik Poltavsk Muzeya (?Jahrb. Mus. Poltawa) (see above)
1917 Cynchramus schoeniclus pereversievi Gavrilenko, 3-4, pp. 82+

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●Dobutsu-gaku Zasshi. Tokyo.
1923 Troglodytes troglodytes mosukei Momiyama, 35, p. 402
1923 Cisticola cisticola djadja Momiyama, 35, p. 408
1923 Emberiza cioides tametomo Momiyama, 35, p. 412
1940 Turdus aureus miharagokko Momiyama, 52, p. 462

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The mudflats and sandy beaches along the sea-coast of East Pakistan are fascinating places for watching a great variety of waders in winter. Greenshanks, red shanks, plovers, curlews, great blue herons and number of other species are plentiful. Come March however and the long flight north has already begun. By May the spots alive with running or wheeling of flocks in winter empty and desolate. On the mudflats near habitations only the ubiquitous (and may one say, monotonous?) paddy bird stalks its somnolent way. It seems as if all the winter birds are gone. But no : On the mudflats remote from big seaside villages a considerable umber of curlews seem to stay on throughout the year. Smythies ( Birds of Burma ) seems to think these are all immature birds, presumably on their first migration South. It is true that wherever r these curlews gather in flocks ( of upto 20 ) they are invariably immature birds. But I have seen fully grown birds in the middle of summer. A couple of full-grown curlews were seen in August, 1963 on the western side of Sonadia island. Again in July a fully grown bird was sighted by me at the confluence of the Paira river and Bogi khal in south Barisal. The questions that arise are firstly, whether some mature curlews normally summer along our coasts, and secondly summer along our coasts, and secondly, whether there is any possibility of their breeding here. Another coastal bird that raises some questions is the Black-tailed Godwit. This migrant is not a common bird in winter, like the curlew. A pair was however seen in early August, 1965, at Kuakata, on the sea-face of south Barisal. These were either very early migrants from the north, or else they had spent the summer n our coast. Observations along the coastal areas of East Pakistan are so few that that we still have a lot to learn about what goes on there. Along the coastal areas of southern Chittagong district very large flocks of red-breasted Parakeet are to be seen in October and November. They are said to breed on the Muranja Taung and Wayla Taung hill ranges. But for these two months they roost among the Um or Golpata palms ( Nipa fruticans ) which are grown in clumps along the numerous tidal inlets. The reason for this is that the rice grown along the foothills ripens in late October and these parakeets take full advantage of that. They can be seen raiding the rice crop in large flights, some of which have over two thousand birds. The sight of one of these large flights wheeling and swooping in unison is really remarkable. Observation of these parakeets show that the immature male and female resemble each other for the first nine months. Thereafter the breast of the male acquires a plum colour and the black bill changes to red. This change takes three to four months. A collection of some birds was made by Mr. Hussain and me in the Cox's Bazar area in February, 1963. We also managed to collect three male specimens of the yellow-backed Sunbird. Measurements , colouring and breeding season suggest that these are probably a new subspecies of yellow-backed Sunbird, ( Aethopyga Siparaja ). The sub-species that is supposed to be found throughout East Pakistan and most of Burma north of Rangoon is Seheriae. The type locality for this is Seheria, Borabhum, on the borders of West Bengal and Bihar. This sub-species can be recognised by (i) the green tail, (ii) the central tail feathers being 15 to 20 mm. longer than the lateral ones, (iii) the wings being under 60 mm. in length, (iv) the olivegreen abdomen. Moreover, in Assam ( and Sylhet in East Pakistan ) they breed in May, June and July. In southern Burma and Thailand the subspecies is Cara. The type locality is Tenasserim. The main differences from Seheriae are that it has (i) the tail metallic purple, (ii) the central tail feathers only 4 to 8 mm. longer than the lateral ones, (iii) the abdomen grey, very slightly washed with olive, (iv) the breeding season in January and February. The Sunbirds collected in Chainda forest, near Cox's Bazar, resemble Seheriae in having (a) a green tail, and (b) wings under 60 mm. in length. On the other hand, they resemble cara in having (c) the central tail feathers only 5 to 10 mm. longer than the lateral ones, (d) the abdomen grey, washed with olive-green, and (e) the breeding season in February. The deduction about the breeding season was made after dissection, when the testes were found to be very enlarged, obviously in preparation for breeding. It may be mentioned here that in climate and vegetation the southeastern part of East Pakistan has far more in common with southern Burma than with the drier uplands of West Bengal and Bihar. After consideration of the various differences and resemblances I feel justified in nominating those birds tentatively into a new subspecies : terglanei. Of course much more material is needed to firmly establish Aethopyga siparaja terglanei ( nom. nov. ) and it is hoped that in January or February, 1967 some more collection can be made in the Cox's Bazar area. The coastal ranges of Cox's Bazar and Chittagong are backed up farther east by a series of north-south aligned ridges that become higher as we go east. Most of the first six ridges are in East Pakistan. Another six ranges to the east we reach the central ' range, the main watershed, of the Arakan Yomas ( known there as the Chin hills ). Mount Victoria is the highest point in that central part. The mountain ridges within East Pakistan are almost wholly in the district of Chittagong Hill Tracts. One of the most interesting aspects of these hills is the virtual absence of the House-Sparrow( Passer domesticus indicus ) and the House Crow (Corvus splendens splendens ). These two birds are very common in nearly all other parts of East Right up to the very base of the westernmost of these ranges they are ubiquitous.
But suddenly they are no more. The bigger, graver and one may say, more dignified, Jungle Crow ( Corvus macrorhyncos ) takes over from its more domestic cousin. As for the Sparrow it seems to be replaced partially by various members of the Ploceidae. This is strange because the Sparrow is so adaptable, so pugnacious and so tenacious. If it is really a commensal of man why does it not penetrate these hills ? People have been living on these hills for a long time and one could expect either the House Sparrow or the Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus). Mysteriously ( at least for the present ) both are absent over the greater part of the area.Field investigation into the reasons for the failure of these species to establish themselves is most desirable. The Wagtails are amongst the most common winter visitors to East Pakistan. Soon after coming down from Tibet, China and Siberia hey scatter all over the province. As the time of departure draws near they seem to congregate in increasing numbers ia -certain areas, which probably serve as take-off bases. Such an area is the large marshy land around Tengra Tila, near Chhatak, in Sylhet district. In April and May, 1964, I observed almost all the sub-species of Wagtails that come into East Pakistan in that area. All the birds observed were changing into the breeding (summer) plumage. Two sub-species however had changed more or or less fully to the summer plumage. One was Motacilla alba alboides, a sub-species of the Pied Wagtail. Several of these could be seen with the back completely black and no trace of white on the throat. The other was Motacilla citreola calcarata, a sub-species of the Yellow-headed Wagtail. Many of these were seen with the back black and the whole head and breast yellow. Some of these however had not changed to the full, summer plumage. Unfortunately the exact date of their emigration could not be observed. Here again is a field open to research students since most Wagtails do not change to full summer plumage before leaving wintering areas. South-east of the big expanses of low marshy land around Tengra Tila (which is three miles from the base of the Khasi Hills) we come up to the higher areas of Sylhet. In this region of dense vegetation one of the most common bird is the Blue-throated Barbet. The continuous Kutrr-Kutrr-Kutrr call of these Barbets in the heat of the after-noon is one of the characteristic features of eastern Sylhet. In the more densely populated part-s one may stand in-between two villages and hear a dozen of these very vocal birds calling from all around. Yet, and here we have another of those gaps in our knowledge, it is strangely absent from most of the adjacent areas to the west and south. It is rarely heard north of Mymensingh town, but to the south it seems to be completely absent though the country is very suitable for it. As far as is known this Barbet has not been seen or heard near Dacca. In over three years of observation I have not seen it in Comilla, Noakhali or Chittagong district. Most curiously it is again common in the western-most part of East Pakistan — in Chapai Nawabganj subdivision, most of which was formerly a part of Malda district, and is now in Rajshahi district. The Blue-throated Barbet is fairly common in mango orchards of Nawabganj and I have also heard it near Rajshahi. Why should it be absent ( or very scarce ) in the whole range of country between eastern Sylhet and western Rajshahi? The types of trees and the thickness of the vegetation are both sultable ( presumably) in the whole of East Pakistan, but it is a strangely local bird. Another example of local distribution is the Jungle Babbler. This is essentially a bird of fairly dry areas, i. e. with 40 to 60 inches of rainfall. In East Pakistan its distribution seems to be governed both by the rainfall and the soil. It prefers areas with less than 75 inches of rainfall and a soil that dries quickly. A large area in the western part of East Pakistan has less than 75 inches of of rainfall but the Jungle Babbler is not found everywhere. It shuns the lower damper areas. It is found as far east as Dacca and Pubail, both of which places have 75 inches of rainfall and reddish clays that dry out fairly rapidly. Further east it is completely absent. In fact the eastern edge of the Madhupur Tract (pleistocene terrace with reddish clays) is a sharp limit to this species and it does not re-appear in the high land of the wetter east.

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Turdus mure mas. – mal. Muré.

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H. F. B. Muré en A. A. P. Muré, handelende onder de firma Gebroeders Muré

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Taphrospilus said:

I have no idea what mas. – mal. could mean?

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James Jobling said:

Turdus mure. I wonder if "mal. Mure" is an abbreviation for German malaiisch Malayan (i.e. Mure is an autochthonym)?

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