Some "unseen" descriptions … now seen! (1 Viewer)

A possible meaning of the "unseen" quirundus …?

Here´s a pure speculation … on a fairly obscure name coined by Mathews.

quirindus
● in the invalid "Circus assimilis quirindus" MATHEWS 1915 (Note: OD still unseen!)

Today's HBW Alive Key explains it as follows:

quirindus
Etymology undiscovered; description unseen (Mathews 1915, Bds. Australia, V, 23) (syn. Circus assimilis).

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There´s is a small town on the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, by the name of Quirindi, but what that town would have in common (if anything) with a harrier from Celebes (Sulawesi) I sure don´t know. Although note that there was a member of the R.A.O.U (Royal Australasian Ornithological Union) a A. P. Kemp, that lived at "Boonanghi", Quirindi in 1918 (here), but if he´d anything to do with either Mathews, Iredale or this bird is also unknown. At least by me.

The type itself is apparently lost!

In any case; also compare with the Sea snail "Xymene quirindus" IREDALE* 1915 (here)

*Mathews's co-worker of the multi-volume work Birds of Australia.

If of any help?
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Mr. Turner and "his" Vireo

Here´s two Google Snippet views (here and here) that let us have a peek at another of Jobling's "unseen" ones … this time regarding:

turneri
● in "Vireo turneri" DEVAS 1953:

Yellow-Eyed Vireo—(41/2). As already stated, I do not like inventing names, but I have been compelled to do so in this case and even to coin a scientific name, Vireo turneri, for it was H. W. Turner who discovered, and introduced me to, this bird.

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Who he was? I sure don´t know.

Maybe William Hogan Turner (1901-)? At least according Descendants of Roger Turner, Sr he was in Grenada an area where Raymund P. Devas has some connections to e.g. with his book Birds of Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Carenage Press, St. George's, Grenada. Nevertheless as Birds of British Honduras. Notes on some of the birds resident in that part of Central America (1953) is not equal to Grenada I am not sure if he is the correct chap.
At least Turner collected in British Honduras at Punta Gorda as well Staminate flowers in February 1932 which have been sent to Professor Samuel James Record (1881-1945). See snippet.

A Cuckoo-Dove from Java

Here´s another one of James's "unseen" ones …

walikmehra … alt. "Walik-mehra" (i.e. Original spelling, with hyphen)
● in the invalid Macropygia "Walik-mehra" REICHENBACH 1861 (here*, p. 86 or the attached jpg) [syn. Macropygia unchall WAGLER 1827]
= Walik-mehra, a local name name for this bird, on Java, Indonesia.

As simple as that!

At least if we´re to trust what Colonel von Schierbrandt told Mr. Reichenbach:

Ich erhielt sie unter obigen Namen aus J a v a : Obersts v. SCHIERBRANDT.

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Apparently this "Walik-mehra" was a bit hard to accept (and/or spell!) for succeeding authors, as it´s a k a; M. "walicmehra" 1865 (here) or "Wahlicmera" 1866 (here) alt. "Walichaehra" 1870 (here).

I guess those guys hadn´t seen it either!

Nothing seems to be known of where on the vast Island of Java, or in what language (of Java's many, many languages) this Cuckoo-Dove was called "Walik-mehra" (or if that name has any other, certain meaning).

However; Enjoy!

Björn

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*Reichenbach, H. G. L. [Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach, 1793-1879]. 1861. Die vollständigste Naturgeschichte der Tauben und taubenartigen Vögel: Wallnister, Erdtauben, Baumtauben, Hocco's. Columbariæ: Megapodinæ, Peristerinæ, Columbinæ, Alectorinæ. Dresden und Leipzig : Expedition der vollständigsten Naturgeschichte, [1847-1862].

As I understand it this Text was published in 1861, the Plates (of the same work) in 1862. And; don´t get confused that it is bound in this book, where the first title page is dated 1850. It must be an accumulated and somewhat mixed (-up) volumd. I didn´t even bother to look at it first!
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Am I crazy but does not the genus of walik-mehra start with an H.? I have seen a citation to a drawing of walik-mehra Novit C. pl. 5 figure 29. I would like to see this but Reichenbach confuses me so.

mb1848 said:

Am I crazy but does not the genus of walik-mehra start with an H.? I have seen a citation to a drawing of walik-mehra Novit C. pl. 5 figure 29. I would like to see this but Reichenbach confuses me so.

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No Mark, you´re not crazy. It´s the letter H, (see attached close-up jpg) but this must clearly be a Typoraphers/Printers error as it is listed under Macropygia, together with the others M.'s.

I´ve looked for the 1862 part (the Plates) but this far I haven´t found it anywhere.
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I found many colored plates of Reichenbach recently added to BHL.
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/102901#/summary .
On google books:
https://books.google.com/books?id=vB4OAAAAQAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s .
I think these are from the 1850's and I have not found the picture of walik-mehra.

Here´s another "unseen" one ... a magpie!

● "Pica pica kot" GAVRILENKO 1929 (in text, p. 75)

Found and seen in: Gavrilenko, N.I., 1929. Птицы Полтавщины (alt. Pticy Poltavŝiny, or The birds of the Government of Poltava) [In Russian]: 1-133.— Poltava. (full volume here, look for "Гавриленко Н.И. Птицы Полтавщины. Полтава, 1929, PDF" or see attachments.

What it says? I haven´t got a clue!

And I don´t have to understand it. This bird is not on my list. But James might need some help?

However; enjoy!
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Reichenbach's Vollst. Naturgesch., Handb. Spec. Ornithol., and associated works

Reichenbach's work is a mess, and it appears on the Web mostly under wrong dates, wrong titles, often with wrong coverts, and different parts were sometimes bound together in a rather arbitrary fashion.
This is what I currently have in my notes:

Reichenbach HGL. 1845-50. Die vollständigste Naturgeschichte der Schwimmvögel: Aves Natatores. Oiseaux nageurs. Dresden & Leipzig.
Publication history suggested by Meyer 1879:
- initial (= original plates, I to LXV?): 20 Feb 1845.
- synopsis: 1848.
- novitiae: 1 Dec 1850.
BHL has the plates [here] (original + novitiae inserted among them). What Meyer calls the "synopsis" might be [this], but I'm not fully sure.

Reichenbach HGL. 1846-51. Die vollständigste Naturgeschichte der Sumpfvögel: Aves Grallatores. Oiseaux échassiers. Dresden & Leipzig.
Publication history suggested by Meyer 1879:
- initial (= original plates): 3 Jun 1846.
- synopsis: 1848.
- novitiae: 1 Jun 1851.
BHL has the plates here (original + novitiae inserted among them). What Meyer calls the "synopsis" might be [this], but I'm not fully sure.

Reichenbach HGL. 1846-51. Die vollständigste Naturgeschichte der Wasserhühner u. Rallen: Fulicariae et Rallariae. Les Foulques et les Râles. Dresden & Leipzig.
Publication history suggested by Meyer 1879:
- initial (= original plates): 30 Dec 1846.
- synopsis: 1848.
- novitiae: 1 Jun 1851.
BHL has the plates here (original + novitiae inserted among them). What Meyer calls the "synopsis" might be [this], but I'm not fully sure.

Reichenbach HGL. 1848. Die vollständigste Naturgeschichte der Hühnervögel: Aves Gallinaceae. Oiseaux gallinacées. Dresden & Leipzig.
Publication history suggested by Meyer 1879:
- synopsis: Feb. 1848.
- initial (= original plates): 16 Jun 1848.
- novitiae: 1 Sep 1851.
BHL has the plates here (original + novitiae inserted among them). I have never seen what Meyer calls the "synopsis".

Reichenbach HGL. 1849-53. Avium Systema Naturale. Das naturliche System der Vögel mit hundert Tafeln grösstentheils Original-Abbildungen der bis jetzt entechten fast zwölfhundert typischen formen. Expedition der vollständigsten Naturgeschichte, Dresden & Leipzig.
Publication history suggested by Meyer 1879:
- plates I to LI: 1 Dec 1849
- plates LII to LXI: 1 Mar 1850
- plates LXII to LXXXVI: 1 Jun 1850
- plates LXXXVII to C: 1 Aug 1850
- introductive text: 1 Oct 1852
BHL has the plates [here] and the "introductive text" [here] -- 1852 is the date that appears at the end of the Vorworte (p. VIII); this is currently dated 1853 in H&M4.

Reichenbach HGL. 1851. Handbuch der speciellen Ornithologie. Alcedineae. The King-fishers.--Les Martin-pêcheurs.--Die Eisvögel. Dresden & Leipzig.
Publication history suggested by Meyer 1879:
- 1 Dec 1851
BHL has the text [here] and the plates [here].

Reichenbach HGL. 1852. Handbuch der speciellen Ornithologie. Meropineae. The Bee-eaters.--Les Guêpiers.--Die Bienenfresser. Dresden & Leipzig.
Publication history suggested by Meyer 1879:
- 1 Mar 1852
BHL has the text [here] and the plates [here].

Reichenbach HGL. 1853. Handbuch der speciellen Ornithologie. Scansoriae. The Climbers.--Les Grimpeurs.--Die Klettervögel. A. Sittinae. Dresden & Leipzig. The Grimpars.--Les Sitteés.--Die Baumkleber. Dresden & Leipzig.
Publication history suggested by Meyer 1879:
- 1 Aug 1853
BHL has the text [here] and the plates [here].

Reichenbach HGL. 1853. Handbuch der speciellen Ornithologie. Scansoriae. The Climbers.--Les Grimpeurs.--Die Klettervögel. B. Tenuirostres. The Suctorial-Birds.--Les Tenuirostres.--Die Dünschnäbler. Dresden & Leipzig.
Publication history suggested by Meyer 1879:
- 1 Nov 1853
BHL has the text [here] and the plates [here].

Reichenbach HGL. 1854. Aufzählung der Colibris Oder Trochilideen in ihrer wahren natürlichen Verwandtschaft, nebst SchlüsseI ihrer Synonymik. J. Ornithol. 1, Extraheft: 1-24.
BHL has it [here].

Reichenbach HGL. 1854. Handbuch der speciellen Ornithologie. Scansoriae. The Climbers.--Les Grimpeurs.--Die Klettervögel. C. Picidae. The Woodpeckers.--Les Pics.--Die Spechte. B. Tenuirostres. The Suctorial-Birds.--Les Tenuirostres.--Die Dünschnäbler. Dresden & Leipzig.
Publication history suggested by Meyer 1879:
- initial (plates): 27 May 1854
- text: 1 Oct 1854
BHL has the text [here] and the plates [here].

Reichenbach HGL. 1855. Trochilinarum enumeratio, ex affinitate naturali reciproca primum ducta provisoria. F. Hofmeister, Lipsiae.
Reichenbach HGL. 1855-57. Trochilinae. [Dresden & Leipzig.?]
Publication history suggested by Meyer 1879:
- plates: 18 Jul 1855 to 12 Jan 1857
- Trochilinarum enumeratio (text): 18 Jul 1855
NB: Enumeratio is presented as a revised version of the paper that Reichenbach published in J Ornithol in 1853. No family group name appear to be new.
BHL has the Enumeratio [here], but not the plates AFAIK. There are plates in Google Books under a wrong title [here] and [here].

Reichenbach HGL. 1846-62. Die vollständigste Naturgeschichte der Tauben und taubenartigen Vögel. Columbariae. Les Pigeons, les Pénélopes et les Hoccos. Dresden & Leipzig.
Publication history suggested by Meyer 1879:
- synopsis: 1847.
- initial (= original plates): 16 Jun 1848.
- novitiae: 1 Oct 1851.
- text: 1862, in two Hälftes; second part (newly discovered species and addendum) after 1 Jul.
I have never seen what Meyer calls the "synopsis".
BHL has the 1848-51 plates [here] and first part of the text [here] -- this is now dated 1861 in H&M4. The text is 162 pp. long, and ends with an announcement: "Die systematische Uebersicht, die Aufzählung der Gattungen und Arten, die Synonymik und die Abbildungen der neuentdeckten Arten, folgen als Novitiae."
The publication of the second part was announced in Arch. Naturgesch. [here]: ""Neuentdeckte Taubenvögel" 9 Tafeln mit 98 Abbildungen (p.160-206)." Presumably this is where the Walik-mehra is hiding?

Calalp said:

What it says? I haven´t got a clue!

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I see nothing about derivation. He mainly says that the magpies from a particular region have a markedly shorter, higher, and more curved bill, and should be treated as a new subspecies Pica pica kot.
FWIW, "кот" means cat in Russian.

l_raty said:

Reichenbach's work is a mess, and it appears on the Web mostly under wrong dates, wrong titles, often with wrong coverts, and different parts were sometimes bound together in a rather arbitrary fashion.
[...]
""Neuentdeckte Taubenvögel" 9 Tafeln mit 98 Abbildungen (p.160-206)." Presumably this is where the Walik-mehra is hiding?

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"Neuentdeckte Taubenvögel" 9 Tafeln mit 98 Abbildungen (p.160-206)." ... I assume it´s this one: Reichenbach, H. G. L.. ("nach dem 1 July") 1862. Neu entdeckte [with blanc spacing!?]Taubenvögel und Nachträge zu den schon beschriebenen: 7 (?) neue Tafeln mit 98 Abbildungen ... here or here?

However, no access, but there it is.
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Great job structuring the available Reichenbach publications Laurent! Calalp I have found the Reichenbach publication right before the July 1, 1862 one you mentioned. It is dated April 1, 1862:
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/103262#page/5/mode/1up .

Another "unseen" seen

● "Tetrastes bonasia gilacorum" BUTURLIN 1935

From today's HBW Alive Key …

gilacorum
Eponym; dedication unseen (Buturlin 1935, Polyni Opred. Ptitsy SSSR, II, 158, 190) (syn. Tetrastes bonasia amurensis).

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Polnyi Opred. [Opredelitel] Ptitsy SSSR = Полный определитель птиц СССР

Full volume (and volumes) here, excerpts of p.158 and p.190 attached.

What it says? I don´t know. It´s in Russian.

However: Enjoy!
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And another one!

● "L. c. [Linaria cannabina] kudashevi" PORTENKO 1960

kudashevi
Eponym; dedication unseen (Portenko 1960, Ptitsy SSSR, IV, 279); ?Aleksandr Prince Kudashev (fl. 1916) Russian Army (syn. Linaria cannabina bella).

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"Ptitsy SSSR, IV" = Птицы СССР. Часть 4 (Славковые-Овсянковые) [Иванов А.И. и др., 1960]

Full volume (and volumes), in Russian, here, or see excerpts (top and foot-note) from p.279.

Enjoy!
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Calalp said:

What it says? I don´t know. It´s in Russian.

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It says nothing explicitly, but Buturlin's habit to transliterate scientific names into Cyrillic can be helpful at times: Tetrastes bonasia gilacorum = Тэтрастэс боназиа гилякорум.
Гиляк = Gilyak.

Prosheppardia
(syn. Sheppardia Ϯ NOT SEEN Wolters 1983, Bonn. Zool. Beitr., 34, 283) Gr. προ pro near; genus Sheppardia Haagner, 1909, akalat.

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Seen … here.

Dendrophila
(syn. Arborophila Ϯ not seen (Madras Journ. Lit. Sci., V(1837), p. 303); syn. Sitta Ϯ Blue Nuthatch S. azurea) Gr. δενδρον dendron tree; φιλος philos lover.

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Seen ... here.
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Arborophila emended to Dendrophila p. 432:
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/176523#page/476/mode/1up .
But a Perdix partridge is not a nuthatch?
There is Dendrophila Swainson 1837 a subgenus of Sitta.
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/131541#page/342/mode/1up .

Dorisella 1980 : Type by original designation: Ianthia johnstoniae Ogilvie-Grant, 1906.
http://www.researchgate.net/publica...sangaben_sowie_deutschen_und_englischen_Namen .
I was hoping Mrs. Johnstone's name was Doris but it was Marion.

The "unseen" marianae ...

A brief comment, after yet another visit to the Stockholm University Library, this time regarding ...

marianae
[…]
● Eponym; dedication unseen (Biswas 1951, Ibis, 213) (syn. Chrysophlegma flavinucha).
[…]

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No wonder this one remained "unseen"!

● the invalid "Picus flavinucha marianae" BISWAS 1952 [syn. of today´s nominate (Chrysophlegma) Picus f. flavinucha GOULD 1833 (1834)]

When looking for a subspecies of a (Greater) yellow-naped woodpecker, the only article by Biswamoy Biswas in the four issues of The Ibis 1951 is one about the taxonomy of "The Indian Plaintive Cuckoo Cuculus passerinus" [today's Cacomantis passerinus VAHL 1797] … simply because the OD of this marianae is found in:

Biswas, B. 1952. Geographical variation in the Woodpecker Picus flavinucha Gould. The Ibis 94 (2): pp. 210-219. [Date of issue: 1 April 1952, the "Picus flavinucha marianae" is found on p.213. That was correct!]. Also see the Richmond card (here).

Due to copyright rules I cannot attach the full article to this post (it´s not free yet) nor can I find a link to it.

In any case, the OD includes no dedication, nor any obvious explanation (from what I can tell). The only plausible, possible, somewhat similar name mentioned is found in the Introduction by Mr. Biswas:

I must express my special debt of gratitude to Dr. Ernst Mayr, Mr. Jean Delacour, Dr. Sunder Lal Hora and Mr. Daniel Marien: they showed keen interest in this study and discussed the various aspects of the different problems. Their comments and criticisms have greatly improved the paper.

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But … Mr."Daniel Marien" … I expected marianae to be a female eponym!?

The only other institutions or persons mentioned is (if useful?):

... the American Museum of Natural History, British Musem (Natural History), Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay, and the Zoological Survey of India. In addition to the collections contained in those institutions, I had access to those in the United States National Museum (through the courtesy of Mr. H. G. Deignan), Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris (through the courtesy of Mr. J. Berlioz), Dr. Walter Koelz, Dr. S. Dillon Ripley and Mr. Sálim Ali, …

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That´s all the OD tells us.

In total Mr. Biswas studied 46 specimens of this supposedly new subspecies. The Range is given as: "Simlipal Hills in Orissa; Southern Assam and Burma except the peninsular region".

The Type itself, an adult male, was collected by Mr. G. Heinrich (1896–1984), on Mount Victoria, Chin Hills, in Upper Burma, 16 March 1938. And none of his wifes/mistresses or daughters was (to my knowledge) called Marian(e) or something like that. And even if so, shouldn´t either one of the Heinrich's, if commemorated, have been mentioned in the Introduction as well?

Maybe it´s simply a silent commemoration of a relative (wife? daughter) of Mr. Biswamoy Biswas himself?

Who knows?

Take it for what it´s worth.

Björn

PS. James, I´ll send you a copy, thereby no longer "unseen" also by you, maybe you can figure out the truth!

PPS. Or is this yet one of those (Laurent's) tricky, ever-repeated, latinisations of female substantives/names! Still making Daniel Marien a possible candidate?
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