Björn Bergenholtz
(former alias "Calalp")
Good Heavens! I thought I´d have a quick look at: Andean Ibis Theristicus (caudatus/melanopis) branickii BERLEPSCH & STOLZMANN 1894 (a k a "Branicki's Buff-necked Ibis") … I just wanted to have a quick look on its type description to check on its former Swedish name (in line with its older English name, mentioned above) just to verify who its commemorating.
And found my self in a eponymical wilderness!
The type description is: de Berlepsch, H & J Stolzmann. 1894. Descriptions de quelques Espèces nouvelles dʼOiseaux du Pérou central. The Ibis (Serie 6, vol. 6): 385-405. (attached)
And there it states, for No 17. "Theristicus branickii" (page 404-405): "Cette espèces nouvelle, que nous dédions à M. le Comte Xavier Branicki, …"
Whoops! Without knowing any French; There´s a "Comte Branicki" I´ve never heard of!?
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And it doesn´t end there! Berlepsch & Stolzmann describes 16 other New "Species" in this article and they serve us with even more (or less) mind-boggling (at least for me!) eponymical information (and challenges!) … some contradictory to what I´ve seen:
No 2: "Pseudochloris sharpei" (today P. uropygialii sharpei) = "… à notre excellent ami M. le Dr. R. B. Sharpe, de Londres." (= of course, as in so many other species; Richard Bowdler Sharpe, 1847–1909)
No 8: "Siptornis taczanowskii" (today Asthenes flammulata taczanowskii) = (docteur) "Taczanowski" (= Wladyslaw Taczanowski 1819–1890)
No 13: "Spathura annæ" (today Ocreatus underwoodii annae) ="Nous nous permettons de dédier cette espèces nouvelle dʼoiseau-mouche à Madame la Comtesse Anna Branicka, épouse du Comte Xavier Branicki. (= ???)
No 14: "Macropsalis kalinowskii" (today Uropsalis segmentata kalinowskii) = "Jean Kalinowski" (= Jan Kalinowski, 1860–1942)
No 15: "Dendrobates valdizani" (today Veniliornis dignus valdizani) = "Nous dédions cette nouvelles espèces a Don Dario Valdizan de Lima, ami de notre voyageur, …" (= ???)
No 16: Leptosittaca branickii (the same, a k a Golden-plumed Parakeet or "Branicki's Conure") = "Cette espèces, fort intéressante, que nous avons lʼhonneur de dédier à M. le Comte Ladislas Branicki, a été découvertes par Jean Kalinowski dans les montagnes très élevées du Pérou central." (= Wladyslaw Branicki, 1848–1914? Or?)
No 17: (as above): Theristicus branickii = "… M. le Comte Xavier Branicki, …" …" (= ???)
Anyhow; clearly no 16 and 17 commemorates different persons … or?
As if it wasn´t hard enough trying to trace down the Branickis we already knew of, with their many titles and multiple spellings in different transcriptions of various versions of polish names!? Frankly I´m quite happy that the Swedish Ornithologist's Name Committee today want to call the first mentioned (and last-mentioned!) specie "Andinsk ibis", in line with its English modern name; Andean Ibis.
But that doesn’t stop me from wanting to know who Count "Xavier Branicki" and his wife Countesse "Anna Branicka" was!?
Maybe some of our Polish readers know!?
And found my self in a eponymical wilderness!
The type description is: de Berlepsch, H & J Stolzmann. 1894. Descriptions de quelques Espèces nouvelles dʼOiseaux du Pérou central. The Ibis (Serie 6, vol. 6): 385-405. (attached)
And there it states, for No 17. "Theristicus branickii" (page 404-405): "Cette espèces nouvelle, que nous dédions à M. le Comte Xavier Branicki, …"
Whoops! Without knowing any French; There´s a "Comte Branicki" I´ve never heard of!?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And it doesn´t end there! Berlepsch & Stolzmann describes 16 other New "Species" in this article and they serve us with even more (or less) mind-boggling (at least for me!) eponymical information (and challenges!) … some contradictory to what I´ve seen:
No 2: "Pseudochloris sharpei" (today P. uropygialii sharpei) = "… à notre excellent ami M. le Dr. R. B. Sharpe, de Londres." (= of course, as in so many other species; Richard Bowdler Sharpe, 1847–1909)
No 8: "Siptornis taczanowskii" (today Asthenes flammulata taczanowskii) = (docteur) "Taczanowski" (= Wladyslaw Taczanowski 1819–1890)
No 13: "Spathura annæ" (today Ocreatus underwoodii annae) ="Nous nous permettons de dédier cette espèces nouvelle dʼoiseau-mouche à Madame la Comtesse Anna Branicka, épouse du Comte Xavier Branicki. (= ???)
No 14: "Macropsalis kalinowskii" (today Uropsalis segmentata kalinowskii) = "Jean Kalinowski" (= Jan Kalinowski, 1860–1942)
No 15: "Dendrobates valdizani" (today Veniliornis dignus valdizani) = "Nous dédions cette nouvelles espèces a Don Dario Valdizan de Lima, ami de notre voyageur, …" (= ???)
No 16: Leptosittaca branickii (the same, a k a Golden-plumed Parakeet or "Branicki's Conure") = "Cette espèces, fort intéressante, que nous avons lʼhonneur de dédier à M. le Comte Ladislas Branicki, a été découvertes par Jean Kalinowski dans les montagnes très élevées du Pérou central." (= Wladyslaw Branicki, 1848–1914? Or?)
No 17: (as above): Theristicus branickii = "… M. le Comte Xavier Branicki, …" …" (= ???)
Anyhow; clearly no 16 and 17 commemorates different persons … or?
As if it wasn´t hard enough trying to trace down the Branickis we already knew of, with their many titles and multiple spellings in different transcriptions of various versions of polish names!? Frankly I´m quite happy that the Swedish Ornithologist's Name Committee today want to call the first mentioned (and last-mentioned!) specie "Andinsk ibis", in line with its English modern name; Andean Ibis.
But that doesn’t stop me from wanting to know who Count "Xavier Branicki" and his wife Countesse "Anna Branicka" was!?
Maybe some of our Polish readers know!?