The Common name of Crawfur...'s hard-to-place Pheasant (1 Viewer)

Anyone who know why the debated subspecies Lophura leucomelanos/nycthemera crawfurdii GRAY 1829 is sometimes called either Crawfurt's Kalij Pheasant alt. Crawfurt's Silver Pheasant in English? Why the ending -t, in Mr. Crawfurd's surname ... ?!? It´s also found in the French name Faisan argenté de Crawfurt ... why?

The OD itself (here) clearly states: "Crawfurd's Pheasant, Phasianus Crawfurdii" (even if no out-spoken dedication, more than the mere mentioning of a certain "Mr. Crawfurd").

In Swedish zoological parks this subspecies is called either "Crawfurds kalijfasan" or simply "Crawfurds kalij". And I find no reason what-so-ever to question that spelling!

Today's HBW Alive Key explain this eponym as:

● Dr John Crawfurd (1783-1868) British Army surgeon, orientalist, administrator of Singapore 1823, envoy to Siam and Burma (syn. Dryocopus javensis, subsp. Lophura nycthemera, syn. Rhopodytes sumatranus).

Click to expand...

... which, to me, sounds fairly logic (at least not contradicting) as this subspecies belong in southwestern Thailand (old Siam) and southeastern Burma. The only thing I might add is that he was Scottish, but/well that´s included above in the inclusive term "British". More on this guy, here.

But why (why on Earth!) "Crawfurt's" in other places?

Anyone know?

Björn
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Crawfurt is a lapsus or misspelling (perhaps derived from a continental pronunciation). Alternative spellings of Crawford (means 'crow ford') include Crauford, Crawfurd, Craufurd and Crawforth (Oxford Names Companion 2002, p. 148)

Crawfurd conclusion

Thanks James, so I suspected, as I´ve also seen it as "Crawford's" whatever-Pheasant ...

I guess the most recent use boils down to Avibase's (unfortunate) spelling of the Common name. If a lapsus also on their behalf, or not, is unknown to me. Either way, it´s of minor importance.

Thereby: Let´s forget about the "Crawfurt's" whatever-pheasant. Crawfurd is/was how his surname was written, thereby Crawfurd's is (and will stay) the proper Common name.

Mr. Crawfurd (and this crawfurdii) ... over and out!

Björn
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