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HBWAlive Key; mission accomplished or mission impossible? (3 Viewers)

Pitalla:
Key: https://www.hbw.com/dictionary/definition/pitalla .
Richmond Generic names applied to birds 1916-1922.
Pitalla L. Navas, Bol. Soc. Aragonesa Ciencias Nat. iX no. 4, April 1910, p. 98. New name for Pyrrhia Navas 1907 not Pyrrhia Hubner, 1822.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/137704#page/110/mode/1up .
Pyrrhia L. Navas, Anales Facultad Ciencias Zaragoza, I, No. 2, June, 1907, 128. Type, Loxia pyrrhula Linnaeus ( first species mentioned ) . ] New name for Pyrrhula "Pall." ( See Pitalla. )
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/121686#page/68/mode/1up .
Navas mentions Pyrrhula p. europaea Vieillot Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. iv. p. 286 (1816)
Still have no clue to the meaning of Pitalla.
Laurent addressed everything in 2014.
https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=3185742 .
 
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Pitalla NAVAS 1910

A quicker way to Laurent's post where "he addressed everything in 2014" (i.e. Post #19, No.21), here:
[...]

No. 21:
Pitalla (forgot to note down the link, sorry!):
The forgotten link [same as MarK's second link, to], ... : [OD], but it explains nothing, I'm afraid.
Pitalla Navas, 1910 is a replacement name for Pyrrhia Navas, 1907 [OD] nec Hübner, 1821 [OD]. Pyrrhia Navas itself was a replacement name for "Pyrrhula Pallas", deemed invalid as a generic name because it was initially proposed as a specific name ([OD by Pallas]; but name now taken from the Tabula synoptica in the non-binominal and non-binary work of Brisson 1760 "[OD]" [see also [here]], where protected by Dir. 105 if deemed generic [albeit whether anything in Brisson is intended as a generic name is highly questionable, IMHO; in practice, "Pyrrhula Brisson" is a species, around which he built his genus #37]).

[...]

Maybe (and now I'm only guessing, simply brainstorming) Pitalla could somehow be connected/linked to Pallas himself (hence Pyrrhula PALLAS)... alt. to the form pitallus, or Pitallus... ?

"Pitallus was a doctor who threated his patiens at no charge" [here]
Maybe Dr Navas simply felt he was doing the same with his birds? ;)

For what it's worth. If anything?

/B

PS. Pitalla seems to be a local word/name for a red/pink (dragon/cactus) fruit!? If somehow connected to Navas's Ornitologia de Aragon is however unknown to me ... or to the red (πυῥῥος, rojo), as in Navas's Pyrrhia (1907).
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An attempt on ...

cubo and dairi as in:
C. [Cyanurus] cubo BONAPARTE 1850 (here), no explantion what-so-ever (at least not what I understand).
C. [Cyanurus] dairi BONAPARTE 1850 (same page), ditto explanation ... i.e. none.

In today's Key:
cubo
Probably the author's attempt at a homophone, i.e. French queue tail, and beau beautiful (cf. cubla); "817. Cyanurus, Bp. ... *4. C. cubo, Bp. ex Asia orientali. Cyaneus, subtus antice niger: crista nulla: rectricibus mediis valde elongatis, omnibus apice albis." (Bonaparte 1850, Conspectus Gen. Avium, I, 381) (syn. ?Urocissa sp.) (see dairi).
dairi
Etymology undiscovered; perhaps from Japanese dairi a former term for the Emperor, rather like mikado; "817. Cyanurus, Bp. ... *3. C. dairi, Bp. ex Asia orientali. Cyaneus, subtus omnino albus: crista occipitali longissima: rectricibus mediis valde elongatis, omnibus apice nigris." (Bonaparte 1850, Conspectus Gen. Avium, I, 381) (?syn. Urocissa sp.) (see cubo).

Some suggestions ...

Latin cubo, cubō, cubus (cubare) ... as of here alt. here

I´m pretty sure Bonaparte's specimen/s were "lying down" ;)

Joking apart! Some minor additional info, by Bonaparte himself, on Cyanurus dairi are to be seen in his Opera ornithologica, vol II, 1825-1857 (here, with C. cubo on the same page):
... Figura nulla.
Hab. in Asia magis orientali, Corea.
According to Giebel (1872) both Birds originated from Korea (here).

Also, maybe noteworthy, is the following quote (from a US Schoolbook, of 1846):
"... The Dairi is the spiritual ruler of the country [in this case; Japan], but the Cubo is the political ruler, paying only nominal obedience to the Dairi.

[from here]
Or like in this text:

Formerly, the cubo made an annual journey to Meaco, in token of respect to the dairi; by degrees, these visits ...

[from here]
Both, also noted; here, here, here, ... and elsewhere.

If it is, like that US Schoolbook told us; that dairi and cubo is/was religious words/titles in a Buddhist context, they could (both) possibly be linked to Korea [which, religiously, are divided between Korean Shamanism, (Neo-)Confucianism, and Buddhism].

If it does? Truly? I haven't got a clue.

Take the above for what it is worth.

Björn
 
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Good work Björn. Both cubo and dairi relate to Japan; in addition to the references you give, there is an interesting entry in The Edinburgh Gazetteer or Geographical Dictionary, III, 1822, p. 476. Key duly amended.
 
Glad you found it useful James.

Then the remaining question is: what "?Urocissa sp." are/were to be found in Korea ... or Japan!? Couldn't it/they be a Cyanopica sp. alt. ssp.? Or?

Does the Latin description help us either way?

For anyone still curious (or in doubt) regarding the titles Cubo and Dairi, see James's recommendation:
The Edinburgh Gazetteer or Geographical Dictionary, III, 1822, p. 476 (here).

FWIW: Both titles were used by Thunberg, in/from his Resa till Japan/Voyage to Japan, 1775–1776 (here), English version here (lower part, p.vii).

/B
__
 
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Does the Latin description help us either way?

The generic diagnosis of Cyanurus should in principle apply to the included species. This reads:
Rostrum nigrum : cauda longissima.
Bill black : tail very long.
*3. C. dairi, Bp. ex Asia orientali. Cyaneus, subtus omnino albus : crista occipitali longissima : rectricibus mediis valde elongatis, omnibus apice nigris.
*4. C. cubo, Bp. ex Asia orientali. Cyaneus, subtus antice niger : crista nulla : rectricibus mediis valde elongatis, omnibus apice albis.
*3. C. dairi, Bp. from eastern Asia. Blue, entirely white below : with a very long occipital crest : the central tail feathers strongly elongated, all of them black at the tip.
*4. C. cubo, Bp. from eastern Asia. Blue, frontally black below : with no crest : the central tail feathers strongly elongated, all of them white at the tip.

I guess I might be led to construe the second description as matching a Urocissa erythrorhyncha (which does occur in Korea), perhaps immature, lacking the red bill of that species.
But I find the first description really puzzling... (No Urocissa is entirely white below, no Urocissa is crested, no Urocissa has black-tipped tail feathers.)

(The original source for these birds being Korean was Bonaparte himself [here].)
 
Thanks Laurent. :t:

After having flipped back and forth, over and over, in Birds of East Asia (by Mark Brazil, 2009), I simply cannot figure out which of today's Korean species (or ssp.) would fit either one. Not even after having tried to incl. female or juvenile birds.

To me, this far, the true identity of both cubo and dairi remain a mystery.

Björn

PS. But it was worth a try. It's always nice to use a Field guide, once in a while, not only the screen.
 
I'm actually wondering if he might not have written these two descriptions while looking at some oriental paintings, that might have interpreted the real bird in a rather free way.
(For cubo, in the later work where he said the birds were Korean, he also gave a Japanese name, "San-zjak", adding that the same name applied to the red-billed species as well (now "sanjaku" サンジャク in Japanese according to Avibase). This suggests a written Japanese source of information.)
 
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Siebold's "Biophorus paradisiacus (China)", in the Appendix, the very last bird in Fauna Japonica (Aves), 1850; here, and Plate here.

As I understand it concidered a variety of today's Urocissa erythrorhyncha ... or?

If of any help?

/B
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Couldn't cubo and dairi simply, possibly (and now I'm only guessing) be two different colour morphs/varieties of the (Red-billed) Blue Magpie Urocissa erythrorhyncha (domestica) kept at the Japanese (or Korean) court/s, and thereby their name? Or, like Laurent suggested, simply based on paintings ... (of ditto Origin?), with crests and all.

Either way, the other Janpanese (Kanji) name 山鵲 ( for the same species, according to Avibase,) take us (to a minor Art tour!); here, and here (from the Siebold Collection!) or even here ... alt. here and here!? Also see this Painting (from 1776), with black-tipped tail feathers and somewhat blackish bill/beak.

Well, that's it. I can't reach any further regarding the identity of cubo and dairi.

I'm done (... one those two)

Björn

PS. Also maybe worth a thought; "In July 2007, 3 babies of Urocissa caerulea Gould and Urocissa erythrorhyncha were found in Taichung, proving the possibility for the two to hybridize. ..." (here). I wonder what they (or any other Formosan/Red-billed Blue Magpie) looked like when they grew up!?
 
Eparnetes

Without any idea on the etymology (but on the identity) I had a go at ... the generic name Eparnetes.

In today's HBW Alive Key this name is explained as:
Eparnetes
(syn.? Thryothorus sens. lat.) Etymology undiscovered. Reichenbach's 1850, plate LVII, labelled Motacillinae: Troglodytinae & Menurinae, shows a superciliated wren-like bird with short wings and a long, barred tail. Despite this, following G. Gray 1859, Cat. Bds. Tropical Is. Pacific Ocean Brit. Mus., 14 (where misspelled Eparnates), Baker 1951, Avifauna Micronesia, 254, lists "Eparnetes [syrinx] Reichenbach, Syst. Avium, 1850, pl. 57 (no locality = Carolines); Bonaparte, Comptes Rendus Acad. Sci. Paris, 41, 1855, p. 1111 (Carolines)." as a synonym of Acrocophalus [sic] luscinia syrinx. Var. Eparnates.
As far as I can tell this name was first used by Reichenbach (1 March 1850).

Eparnetes Reichenbach 1850, on Plate 57 (LVII), headed/labelled; "TEPIDATORES: Motacillinae: Troglodytinae. & Menurinae." (here).

Though I haven't found any accompanying (possibly subsequent?) text, adherent to it (and the Richmond card, here, doesn't help!).

Anyone who does know of such a text? By Reichenbach?

The earliest text I´ve found is Bonaparte's words, in Comptes Rendus ... vol. 41, (from 1855), page 1111 here, where he mentioned Reichenbach's Eparnetes, but it doesn't tell us more than (as far as I can tell, not knowing French) it's a bird "provenant des Carolines" (from the Carolines).

On the other hand; Fitzinger (here, from 1856?) list it: "Eparnetes Reichenb. (Tatare rousserolle Voy. au Pole Sud)" ... which takes us bit further back, to the 1840's and to Hombron et Jacquinot, Voyage au Pôle Sud, Zoologie, Atlas, pl. 20, fig. 5. (here) and its text (here):
Notre individu a été rapporté du groupe d'Hogoleu, dans l'archipel des Carolines. ...
Compare the two illustrations (both attached), and note the similar long and (however faintly) barred tail.

With this said, and as d'Hogoleu is (as far as I can tell) today's Chuuk (Islands) ... which to me (with no local experience from those particular Islands ;)), simply following the Avibase checklist (here) ... it does looks like the type species for Eparnetes truly is/was/could have been a Caroline Islands Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus syrinx VON KITTLITZ, 1833, as "Sylvia Syrinx" (here, and Plate here).

Thereby I would assume that Eparnetes REICHENBACH 1850 is a junior synonym of Acrocephalus NAUMANN & NAUMANN 1811, based either (probably) on the extinct (today monotypic) Guam Reed-warbler A. l. luscinius QUOY & GAIMARD 1830 (type location; Guam), or the Caroline Reed-warbler Acrocephalus (luscinius) syrinx KITTLITZ 1833 (type location; Woleai Atoll, Caroline Islands)*.

In my mind (without having seen more than Reichenbach's Plate, no text) I think it´s hard to narrow it down further than this. To tell exactly which one, of today's birds (regardlesss if today extinct or not), who was the master/model for the 1850 Plate isn't possible. At least not by me ...

For what it's worth ...

Björn

____________________________________________________
*alt. possibly, somehow (even if at that point still unknown/undescribed) that it could have been a; Mangareva/Astrolabe/Gambier Reed-warbler A. (l.) astrolabii HOLYOAK & THIBAULT 1978 (type location; "Yap", but now believed to be the Gambier Islands) alt. the other two (both extinct); the Pagan Reed-warbler A. (l.) yamashinae TAKATSUKASA 1931 (from Pagan Island) or the Aguijan Reed-warbler A. (l.) nijoi YAMASHINA 1940 (from Aguijan Island).

But, if so, one could wonder how on Earth Mr. Reichenbach got his hands on a specimen of one of those! ;)

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Eparnetes II

Also see The Avifauna Of Micronesia, Its Origin, Evolution, And Distribution, by Rollin H Baker (1951), here, with a long discussion (at least for me, hard-to-grasp) on "Evolutionary history of Acrocephalus luscinia", in the entry for the Nightingale Reed-warbler ssp. "Acrocephalus luscinia nijoi (Yamashina)" (starting on p.257), the ditto ssp. "Acrocophalus luscinia syrinx (Kittlitz) starts on p.253). If making it all anything clearer?

Today (according to most) Acrocophalus syrinx is Monotypic, split from The Guam Reed-Warbler A. luscinius. Nominate A. l. luscinius is extinct, as well as A.(l.) nijoi, A.(l.) yamashinae and A. astrolabii. Doesn't this mean that the Origin of Eparnetes could be, ought to be, found among the latters, among the today extinct ones ... !?! See HBW (here).

And regarding the Etymology: Is there possibly a local Island/islet/place called "Epara" (or something similar), that could lead into Eparnetes ... ?!?

Björn

PS. And note that Reichenbach's Eparnetes (later) has been written "Eparnates". As there apparently is a Latin word; Eparmata, for tumours of the glandules, called parotides, behind the ears ... it makes one wonder (as if in a possibly typo) in what condition was Reichenbach's depicted bird!?

Or maybe Reichenbach simply got tired of trying to come up with a proper, suitable name and gave it ἐπαρά (a solemn curse, imprecation) ... ;)

Time to stop. My mind in running wild ...
 
Bjorn,
Stout work. I have edited the Key entry for Eparnetes . There may be some merit in the Greek curse you mention. In many South Pacific cultures various creatures were considered sacred (e.g. kingfishers, flies, herons), and to harm them was to bring about the wrath of the gods. Perhaps the reed warbler was also one such?
 
I cannot come with an explanation as to "why this name", but one possible derivation for the word itself, I think, could be:
ἐπαρνέομαι = to deny (not exactly a common word, though) + -ετής = suffix forming masculine agent nouns from verbal stems => ἐπαρνητής = he who denies.​
(On the model of, e.g., δατέομαι, to divide among themselves + -ετής => δατητής, a distributer.)
 
Björn and Laurent, I applaud your thoughts re Eparnetes, and have again adjusted the Key entry. This correspondence highlights the beauty of the Key, which can be brought up to date and benefit immediately from new findings or suggestions. In the twinkling of an eye the Eparnetes entry has been modified three times this morning, and I am hoping that a study of the literature (e.g. Hombron and Jacquinot) enables further information to be inserted.
 
Eparnetes III (last one, on my part)

Glad that you found it useful James!

Here´s also another verification, some sort of confirmation, on the Identity, talking strongly in favour of Eparnetes being equal of today's Acrocephalus (thus not of any "Thryothorus"/Troglodytidae), from La grande encyclopédi ... (1851-1905); RABBINISME — SAAS, vol 28:

ROUSSEROLLE (Ornith.)
[...]
Tous ces Oiseaux sont insectivores. D'autres espèces habitent l'Asie jusqu' au Japon, la Malaisie, l'Afrique avec Madagascar, l'Australie et la Polynésie. Les genres Calamodyta, Dumeticola, Eparnetes, Locustella, etc., ne sont que des démembrements du genre actuel. ...
[...]

[by E. Trouessart, p.1074, here, bottom left column, top right]
In the same text there's as well a French name somewhat (at least in my unschooled eyes, a little disturbingly) similar to Eparnetes; "La ROUSSEROLLE EFFARVATE" ... today still in use, for the (Eurasian) Reed warbler. As we've seen that f/ff, at times, in various languagues, have been turned/pronounced into/as p/ph (and/or vice versa), plus the fact that Eparnetes (later) was written Eparnates (as in a possible emendation?) ... well, it simply made me wonder? Could it possibly (also) be an intended v that turned out as n?

What does the French word effarvate mean? Would an imagined Eparvates (alt./or effervates) make any sense what-so-ever?

Or maybe this is just a post in vain? Take it for what it's worth. If anything at all.

Björn

PS. Also, see Alphonse Dubois; "Eparnetes = Acrocephalus" (here, and/or here).

PPS. Sorry for having written it "Acrocophalus", here and there, in #214, it should (of course) have been Acrocephalus. My error, my slippery fingers. Mea culpa.
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What does the French word effarvate mean? Would an imagined Eparvates (alt./or effervates) make any sense what-so-ever?
So far as I know, "effarvatte" (usually with double 't' nowadays, although dictionaries have both spellings) has no other current meaning than being the vernacular name of Acrocephalus scirpaceus.
Etymologically, it would be a French dialectal form of "fauvette" (originally a generic term for warblers, now used mainly for Sylvia/Curruca spp). "Fauvette" => (diminutive form) "fauverette" => (addition of a prothetic 'e' + metathesis of the 'v' and 'r') "effarvatte".

I guess you never know, but... the idea of a mid-19th C German scholar using French dialectal words to create generic names, somehow, gives me a hard time. ;)
 
...
I guess you never know, but... the idea of a mid-19th C German scholar using French dialectal words to create generic names, somehow, gives me a hard time. ;)
Thanks Laurent, I agree, it seems too far-fetched, thereby let's forget about Eparnetes/Eparnates/Eparvates in any connectiontion to any French effarvate/effarvatte/fauvette/fauverette, etc.

I simply had to ask. It could have been worth it ... as of now: not.

/B
 

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