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The not German Germain in German's Swiftlet … in French (1 Viewer)

Björn Bergenholtz

Björn Bergenholtz

(former alias "Calalp")
Sweden
Here´s a little tricky Name Quiz … or just a type error alt. miss-print!?

As far as I understand it the Germain's Peacock-Pheasant Polyplectron germaini ELLIOT 1876 and (the obviously hard- to-place!) German's Swiftlet (Collocalia) Aerodramus (fuciphaga/fuciphagus/inexpectata/fransica) germani OUSTALET 1876 (a k a "Germain's Swiftlet") commemorates the French Army veterinary (surgeon): Louis Rodolphe Germain (1827–1917), from 1862 to 1867 stationed in the French part of Indochina (today Vietnam).

The dedication of the Peacock-Pheasant is easy to understand: "It was sent to the Museum of Paris from Cochin China by M. [= Monsieur] Germain, after whom I have great pleasure in naming it.”

But the "German" Swiftlet is worse!?!

Its type description was published in: Oustalet, É. 1876. Sur une nouvelle espèce de Salanganes. Bulletin de la Société Philomathique de Paris (série 6) tome 13: 1-3. (Attached)

I can spot his name in the opening sentence of this article, but since my knowledge of French is, to say the least, meager, I have to ask: Is there anyone "out there" that knows French enough to read it and explain; if "germani" is just a type-error …or/and what/how the clear link are between Monsieur Rodolphe Germain and this/"his" Swiftlet?

Anyone else curious?
 

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Yes, they were named after Rodolphe Germain.
Germain sent three specimen (from Pulo-Condor island) to Oustalet, different from Collocalia francica (Mauritius), prompting Oustalet to suggest a new species with the name Collocalia germani.

Quentin
 
Thanks Quentin!

But ... was it really Germain "prompting Oustalet" to name it after himself?

That´s quite rare!

If so; was Germani just a typo?
 
No, Oustalet was only motivated by the discovery of differences between the two groups of birds, there was no interfering by Germain after he had sent the birds.

I believe germani was used because german- is the latin root word from which Germain derives. And germaini would have looked and sounded rather odd.
 
It might as well be a typo, then.
Or perhaps that, between 1876 and 1890, Oustalet reconsidered his use of latin in order to emphasize Germain's name ? Just guesses here...
 
Thanks Quentin and Theo,

Herbert Robinson & Cecil Boden Kloss tried to rename it "Collocalia francica germaini" in 1922, as well as Stuart Baker in 1927 (and 1934) … but it didn´t work. Chronological Priority Rules!

I guess Oustalet himself realized this and kept on calling it (the still valid) germani – whatever his original intensions was.

I think we have to accept that, typo or not, there will be a small, tiny question-mark regarding this specific name.

In any case; I´m content enough and will close my entry on this man.

Germain … over and out!
 
I thought I´d written my last post on this thread ... but No, no, no.

Whith the kind help of Quentin and Theo I only understood the commemoration of "Germani", but now I need a little more help.

A small translation of the initial part of the first sentence of the type description – where it all started to unveil itself:
"En étudiant des Salanganes (Collocalia) envoyées récemment de la Nouvelle-Calédonie par Rodolphe Germain, correspondant du Muséum …
Click to expand...
Anyone knowing French feel like translating it?
 
While studying the Swiftlets (Collocalia) recently send to us from New Caledonia by Rodolpho Germain, correspondent of the Museum ......

Theo
 
"While studying the swiftlets (Collocalia) sent recently from New Caledonia by Mr Rodolphe Germain, correspondent of the Museum, I was led to review all the species of the same group kept in the galleries of our great national institution, and I found, among many other specimens from Java, the Caroline islands, the Mariana islands, the Tonga islands, Reunion, Mauritius, etc., three birds of different ages, but belonging obviously to the same species, that seemed to me to merit a very special mention. These three specimens were taken on the island of Pulo-Condor (located about thirty miles east of Cambodia), by the zealous traveller I mentioned earlier, Mr Germain, who, before he was called by his service to New Caledonia, sojourned in India and Cochinchina; for a long time they remained mixed under the name Collocalia francica (Gm.) with various specimens from Mauritius island, to which they show, indeed, quite great similarities, the upperparts being, in the formers as in the latters, of a sooty colour, with an indistinct white band across the rump area, and the belly being of a greyish, or smoky, tone; but while in the birds from Mauritius, which evidently represent the type of Collocalia francica as Gmelin intended it, the bill is very small, in the birds of Pulo-Condor, the bill is broad and rather large."
 
l_raty said:
... the island of Pulo-Condor (located about thirty miles east of Cambodia), ...
Click to expand...

Just a very little thing to tease Laurent (it is not so easy to find a careless error in his posts): the island is about 50 miles east of the Vietnamese coast, and 150 miles south-east of the Cambodian border (shouldn't 30 lieues be more than 30 miles ? ;)).
 
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Daniel Philippe said:
Just a very little thing to tease Laurent (it is not so easy to find a careless error in his posts): the island is about 50 miles east of the Vietnamese coast, and 150 miles south-east of the Cambodian border (shouldn't 30 lieues be more than 30 miles ? ;)).
Click to expand...
Yes, indeed. ;) I should have written "30 leagues".
The league has varied, but on checking Wikipedia, at this time and in France, one league was probably about 4 km.
 
Thanks, Guys

Laurent, Daniel and Theo,
Sorry for my late reply ... this will, once and for all, conclude my entry on this man.

And Laurent, great that you translated those extra sentences!
It made my "case" even more solid and my text better ...
Thanks!

Germain ... over and out!
 
Minor on him

James has him as
Louis Rodolphe Germain (1827-?1917)
Click to expand...
in his key. And I agree with him that he did not follow the death 1917 as e.g. in The Eponym Dictionary of Birds

According Leonore Cote LH/1123/75 he was born 13. April 1827 in Givet. If I read the second document I would say he died 26. October 1912. I am not sure if he died in the Département Dordogne or his last payment came from there. But feel free to correct me if read the 2 wrong in the document.

P.S. On the first page is even the location of death. I assume it is Brantôme (but difficult to read)

So take it for what's worth.
 
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