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Amazilia tzacatl (1 Viewer)

Susan Manchester

Well-known member
I am thinking that tzacatl is an Aztec word, and wondering if it means red or rufous. Does anyone know? I could not find a translation for it anywhere. I tried zoonomen, but this particular species did not have a card.
 
I always thought tzacatl referred to the open areas this species favours (gardens, plantations etc). The derived spanish word 'zacate' is used in Mexico and Central America meaning lawn or grass.
 
Well, yes, when I googled for "tzacatl nahuatl" I found places which said that "zacate" is the Spanish translation of "tzacatl". And I found places which said that "tzacatl" referred to plants which were suitable for animal feed. And then there's the Toltec culture hero. No doubt Jobling did better research than what I did.
 
The Library of the Philadelphian Academy contains a copy of the rare work called 'Registro trimestre,' published in Mexico in 1832, and of which some particulars are given by Mr. Cassin in his 'Birds of California' (p. 24). Sefior De la Llave's generic appellation of Pharomacrus for the group of Trogons called Calurus by Mr. Gould, occurs here in an article entitled "Sobre el Quetzaltolotl, genero nuevo de aves," and is decidedly entitled to adoption. As, however, De la Llave's specific name "mocinno" (intended to immortalize an illustrious Mexican of that name). is rather unpleasing, I trust that the term paradiseus may have been previously applied to it by Prince Bonaparte. The Prince assigns the date of 1826 to the publication of this name in his ' Conspectus,' but gives no reference, and I cannot find out where this name was first employed. In the second volume of the same work, Senor De la Llave describes four new Humming-Birds under the curious specific titles xicotencal, tzacatl, papantzin and topiltzin!!
SCLATER, PHILIP L., M.A., F.L.S., &c.
Notes on the Birds in the Museum of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and other , Collections in the United States of America . PZS. (1857)

From v. ii no. 5 Registro Trimestre: "T. (Trochilus) Tzacatl." "Celebre general Tlaxcalteca patriota en grado eminente y que so pretesto de una conspiracion lo hizo morir el conquistador Cortes."

My translation:
Named to Celebrate a Tlaxcalteca tribe general who was a patriot in the highest degree and that under the pretext of a conspiracy he did die by the conquistador Cortes.

http://books.google.com/books?id=5hH4dHiFq6EC&dq=registro+trimestre&source=gbs_navlinks_s . Page 44 of the fifth part near the end of the book.

OVER-LOOKED DESCRIPTIONS OF FIVE HUMMINGBIRDS.
BY CHARLES W. RICHMOND. Auk 1899.
A RECENT examination of a rare literary and scientific journal, the 'Registro Trimestre,'1 has brought to light descriptions of five species of Hummingbirds which have, apparently, not been quoted in ornithological literature since Dr. Coues referred to them in his 'Ornithological Bibliography '2 some years ago. The 'Registro Trimestre' is known to ornithologists chiefly as the journal in which Dr. Pablo de la Llave described the Resplendent Trogon (Pharomachrus mocinno), although descriptions of three species of Tetrao by the same author also appeared here. These descriptions (in vol. I, nos. 1 and 2, Jan. and Apr., 1832), were, on account of the scarcity of the original journal, reprinted in the Revue et Mag. de Zool., 1861, 23-33; 425_429; the last mentioned also in La Naturaleza, VII, app., 1884, 63-65. It is not generally known, however, that a second volume of the 'Registro' was commenced, and it is in this extra number (no. 5, for Jan., 1833 *) that the forgotten descriptions of Hummingbirds, also by De la Llave, occur. Fortunately, only one name in current use appears to be affected by De la Llave's paper, although all of the species mentioned in it are credited to our fauna. As, however, the shifting of names and unexpected complications of nomenclature constantly taking place may at any moment necessitate the use of one or more of these terms, it is very desirable that the descriptions be reprinted and made generally accessible.
This is Amazilia fuscicaudata (Fraser), 1840, which will thus become Amazilia or Amizilis tzacatl(De la Llave). Ornithologists from all quarters will now be able to agree upon one name for this species, which is dedicated to Tzacatl, a Mexican General or Commander. [ me: I think this is not the mythical Toltec Tzacatl but a real 1500's Tzacatl of the Tlaxcalteca tribe.]
 
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