Coccyzus merlini (d'Orbigny 1839) (1 Viewer)

[Taphrospilus]

Coccyzus merlini (d'Orbigny 1839) OD t.3 (1845) - Historia fisica, politica y natural de la isla de Cuba - Biodiversity Heritage Library

Por estas razones, no vacilamos en darla una denominacion nueva, dedicándola á la Señora Doña Mercedes Jaruco, condesa de Merlin, habanera célebre por sus talentos en la literatura y en las bellas artes, que con igual entusiasmo y feliz éxito cultiva y protege en Paris , de cuya culta sociedad es un bello ornamento.

The Eponym Dictionary of Birds

Great Lizard Cuckoo Coccyzusmerlini d'Orbigny,1839 [Syn. Saurothera merlini]
Condesa Mercedes Jaruco de Merlin (Maria de las Mercedes Santa Cruz y Montalvo) (1789–1852) was a Cuban musician and writer who married a French general, only returning to Cuba upon his death (1840). During her time in Paris she was known as a 'Belle Dame'. She wrote Viaje a la Habana (1840), an ambitious 3-volume account of the political, social and economic life of Cuba.

The Key to Scientific Names

María de las Mercedes Jaruco Condesa de Merlin (1788-1852) Spanish writer, musician (Coccyzus).

Wikipedia e.g. Maria de las Mercedes Santa Cruz y Montalvo — Wikipédia has her birth year as 1789. Same as Anuario bibliográfico cubano or Introducción – Antología abierta de literatura hispana

So in general I would tend to 1789 rather than to 1788 even if I do not know her exact birth date.

P.S. https://publications.iai.spk-berlin...ocument_derivate_00001035/BIA_123_165_186.pdf

nació el 5 de febrero de 1789 en Cuba

According María de las Mercedes Santa Cruz y Montalvo Merlin (1789-1852) - Auteur - Ressources de la Bibliothèque nationale de France or Généalogie de Mercédès de Santa Cruz y Montalvo died

Paris, 31-03-1852

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

In the Spanish dictionary Real Academia de la Historia DB-e (Diccionario Biográfico electrónico) we find her as:

Santa Cruz y Montalvo, María de las Mercedes. Condesa de Merlin (I). La Habana (Cuba), 5.II.1789 – París (Francia), 31.III.1852. Escritora y novelista.

Era el segundo vástago de Joaquín de Santa Cruz y de Cárdenas, III conde de San Juan de Jaruco y I conde de Santa Cruz de Mopox, Grande de España, y de Teresa Montalvo y O’Farrill. Nació en La Habana probablemente en la casa solariega ...
[...]

[here]
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At least I think (read; hope) it's her (I've never heard of her prior to this thread). 🙄

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[l_raty]

Coccyzus merlini (d'Orbigny 1839) OD t.3 (1845) - Historia fisica, politica y natural de la isla de Cuba - Biodiversity Heritage Library

Admittedly a bit of nitpicking, but the OD of the species is the French version of this text ([t.3:pt.2] (1839) - Histoire physique, politique et naturelle de l'ile de Cuba - Biodiversity Heritage Library), indeed published in 1839, while the Spanish version dates to 1845.
No dedication was offered in 1839, however.

 

[mb1848]

BHL dates the Atlas as 1838, but not sure why?
The name merlini is on the plate:
[t.3] Atlas (1838) - Histoire physique, politique et naturelle de l'ile de Cuba - Biodiversity Heritage Library . Also the name of a Mme possibly the person who colored the picture?

 

[Taphrospilus]

If I look e.g. Bd.1 (1861) - Bibliotheca zoologica [I] - Biodiversity Heritage Library (for mollusques, dfishes and insects) have been delivered in many livraisons. So it is possible that the plates have been delivered later that 1838. I am not sure if Histoire physique, politique et naturelle de l'ile de Cuba was ever analysed properly in terms of birds and/or mammals.

Here Bibliographie de la France (1838) - Bayerische Staatsbibliothek we can read about 50 livraisons (not sure about which parts if birds, general or anything else).

 

[mb1848]

"I am not sure if Histoire physique, politique et naturelle de l'ile de Cuba was ever analysed properly in terms of birds"
I have not found anything. For Crustacea Evenhuis Low & Ng discussed this publication but I do not have access.
https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3736.2.1 .

Thank you for the link to Bibliographie de la France I had been looking for this. In the 1839 OD text it refers to Tab XXV which I think means that it may have been published prior or at least the authors intended simultaneous publishing?

 

[mb1848]

BHL dates the Atlas as 1838, but not sure why?

BHL put 1838 because the contributing library dates it as 1838-1857.
[t.3] Atlas (1838) - Histoire physique, politique et naturelle de l'ile de Cuba - Biodiversity Heritage Library .
Thus Martin is correct "mollusques, dfishes and insects) have been delivered in many livraisons. So it is possible that the plates have been delivered later that 1838"
Martin also said " am not sure if Histoire physique, politique et naturelle de l'ile de Cuba was ever analysed properly in terms of birds and/or mammals."
There was a terriffic series of papers of a parrellel publication with the same author and artist:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331466027_A_study_of_d'Orbigny's_Voyage_dans_l'Amerique_Meridionale_VI_Type_specimens_based_on_plate_captions_bibliographic_evidence_applied .
This article mentions the artist Travies 19 times and it would be nice if a project like this was done on the birds of Cuba per d'Orbigny and Travies. What would help to date the planches would be wrappers.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331596324_A_study_of_d'Orbigny's_Voyage_dans_l'Amerique_Meridionale_VII_More_original_wrappers_and_what_they_tell_us_1 .
Without wrappers the first three plates are of a piece and probably the earliest and possibly date from 1838. In those the artist is written as E. Travies but only Travies in the rest. In the first three the sculp. is the same person. (sculp carves the lithograph stone?) In the rest of the plates there are multiple sculp. people.

 

[Taphrospilus]

The artist is Édouard Traviès.
I remember we discussed him here.

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

...
The name merlini is on the plate:
[t.3] Atlas (1838) - Histoire physique, politique et naturelle de l'ile de Cuba - Biodiversity Heritage Library . Also the name of a Mme possibly the person who colored the picture?

"Mme Douliot sculp." is probably equal of the fairly unkown "J. Douliot, née Richomme, active between 1831 and 1849 (here), who worked for several well-known Naturalists in those years, of that particular Era, among those also Ramon de la Sagra (1801–1871), the (main) Author of Histoire physique, politique et naturelle de l'ile de Cuba (in which we find this Plate of "SAUROTHERA Merlini.", with her name, in the Right hand bottom corner). But I doubt she painted (as in coloured) the Plate.

See the Left hand bottom corner: Pins./pinx., of pinxit (Painted by).

... In the first three the sculp. is the same person. (sculp carves the lithograph stone?) In the rest of the plates there are multiple sculp. people.

Mark, just to be a bit fussy, or even pernickety; Lithographies are never sculpted (not as in carved), the surface of any Lithographer's (Lime) Stone/Work surface is always (extremely) flat. Lithography is a planographic tecnique, alt. an Artistic Graphic Print method, based on the immiscibility of Fat/Oil versus Water.

To me those Plates looks like coloured Copperplate engravings.

The more common/expected abbreviation on a true Lithography would be either: "Lith.", "litho." or "lithog."(Lithographed by).

Although, any prints marked by "Sc.", "sculp.", or "sculpt." does indeed Origin from the Latin sculpsit (engraved by, of sculpo, to chisel, engrave). Such abbreviations if used (also) on Lithographies are just an old tradition/habit from earlier Graphic Print methods like Copperplate engravings, Etchings or Drypoints (all actually causing 'damage' to the surface of the Printing plate itself).

Thrust me I know, I've worked with all of those Print methods myself.