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The Chiriquí in chiriquensis … ? (1 Viewer)

Björn Bergenholtz

(former alias "Calalp")
Sweden
Here´s a question on the Toponym ...

chiriquensis as in:
● Rufous-breasted Quail-Dove (Oreopeleia/Geotrygon) Zentrygon chiriquensis SCLATER 1856 (here) a k a Chiriquí Quail-Dove alt. Chiriqui Quail Dove (alt. chiriquívaktelduva, in Swedish)
● and Chiriqui Yellowthroat Geothlypis chiriquensis SALVIN 1872 (here) a k a Chiriquí Yellowthroat (chiriquígulhake in Swedish).

From the OD of the Quail-Dove:
LIST OF MAMMALS AND BIRDS COLLECTED BY MR. BRIDGES IN THE VICINITY OF THE TOWN OF DAVID IN THE PROVINCE OF CHIRIQUI IN THE STATE OF PANAMA.
The town of David lies in a beautiful plain on the left bank of the river of the same name, about twenty-five miles above its exit into the Pacific at Boca Chica. On the west of the town rises the extinct volcano of Chiriqui, a peak …
and from the Yellowthroat's:
Some months ago our collector in Veragua, Enrique Arce, sent us a single specimen of a Geothlypis, from the slopes of the Volcano of Chiriqui, which has perplexed me not a little
[…]
We now find that, in addition to these, another race exists in Chiriqui, which is almost as distinct from the others as they are from one another.
[…]
Our Chiriqui specimen is unfortunately unique ; …
[…]
… the fact of the Chiriqui bird being somewhat more closely related to the Brazilian race than to any of the others, singular as it may at first sight seem, is in strict conformity with other instances of a similar distribution in other allied forms, not only of birds, but also of other animals. The science of geographical distribution demands that all such cases should receive close investigation. Our single specimen, which I propose to call Geothlypis CHiRiQUENSiS, is a male in adult plumage, and differs from an …
[…]
… and forcing a small detached remnant northwards into the recesses of the remote volcano of Chiriqui. Isolated from its parent stock and incapable of stemming the tide of invasion by an antagonistic race, this small remnant was prevented from spreading over Central America by the contemporary form of G. poliocephala, which then occupied Costa Rica and held its own against pressure from the south. Thus hemmed in, it found at last a resting-place in Chiriqui, where alone it has survived, and where it gradually assumed the features which now distinguish it.
Does this mean that chiriquensis are coined after the Volcano Chiriquí or the District Chiriquí?

Both located in Panama. The province was officially established on May 26, 1849. In the case of the Quail-Dove it sure does look in favour of the Province (as in the title of the paper), but what about the Yellowthroat?

I guess the key phrases in this case are; of Chiriquí, vs in Chiriquí…?

Anyone (with complete understanding of English) have an opinion?

Björn

PS. Note the proper way of spelling/writing it, with accent over the last letter (í not i), contrary the way it was written in the English text in the ODs. Fairly easy to miss ... ;)
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Not an answer to your question, but: is there actually any volcano today that is named Chiriqui or is it the one I know as Volcan Baru?

Niels
 
Sure looks like it, Niels ...
Panama mostly take advantage of the proximity of this small town to the forests, lakes, and rivers that grace the flanks of Volcan Baru (also known as the “Volcan de Chiriqui”, or Chiriqui Volcano).
From here
 
According to the Spanish wikipedia, Chiriquí means Moon Valley in the local language and was already called like this when the Spanish arrived: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provincia_de_Chiriquí

And as Volcán Baru is also called Volcán de Chiriquí (and in your text this is translated as Volcano of Chiriquí), it is named after the region.

Therefore, it is safe to assume that chiriquensis pertains to the region (which later was turned into a province).
 
Thanks "Xenospiza", possibly so ... but today's HBW Alive Key explain (and has always explained) this toponym/scientific name as:
chiriquensis / chiriquiquensis
Chiriquí Province, Panama.

Province, Region, volcano ... ?

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Andy, the "Chiriqui Foliage-gleaner" is not on the Swedish list as it´s (still) considered a subspecies, of Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner Automolus ochrolaemus (by IOC).

If it will be split (by IOC as well) I´m pretty sure we would spell it chiriquílövletare ... (that is, of course, if Chiriquí would be involved at all, in its hypothetical Swedish name) ;)

The only other chiriquensis species in the IOC list is the Lesser Elaenia Elaenia chiriquensis (in Swedish mindre elenia, in line with its English name).
 
But ... there´s yet another reason for this thread ... as the Swedish Taxonomy Committee, 2016, explained the (Swedish) Common name as:
Chiriquí Flod och provins i Panama
... which means: "Chiriquí River and Province in Panama"

Anyone who understands why they added the River?!?

Province, Region, Volcano ... or/and River?

What am I missing?

Björn
 
Cannot remember having seen a river named like that. Obviously I have not visited every corner of Chiriqui.

Niels
 
Cannot remember having seen a river named like that. Obviously I have not visited every corner of Chiriqui.

Same with me. But curiously, the Río Chiriquí is not located in the province of Chiriquí. Instead, it flows into the Caribbean Sea on the other side of the Continental Divide. See it on a map here.

So that's a bit of a surprise. I'm don't know whether any of the "Chiriquí XXX" species live near this river; typically Central American bird species live on only one side of the divide but not always.
 
Regardless Panamanian Geography, I who hasn´t been there (neither to any other part of Latin America) still wonder on how to interpret the two ODs (in post #1):

In Chiriquí ... or of Chiriquí (today's Volcan Baru)?

I tend towards the former.
 
Regardless Panamanian Geography, I who hasn´t been there (neither to any other part of Latin America) still wonder on how to interpret the two ODs (in post #1):

In Chiriquí ... or of Chiriquí (today's Volcan Baru)?

I tend towards the former.

Neither is really accurate geographically, the Quail Dove occurs well up in to Costa Rica, just North of San Jose at least.
 
Neither is really accurate geographically, the Quail Dove occurs well up in to Costa Rica, just North of San Jose at least.
Andy, the starting point for this discussion is the OD's. Not what is know today.

In 1856 and 1872 their verified range was as "accurate geographically", as any other original description.

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Thanks, "Xenospiza"!

Any other opinions?

That is; from (Native/fluent) English speaking readers (not living "In a drawer") ;)

Not native, but I have been living in English speaking areas more than the last 15 years and more than 20 in total, and the majority of my work has been in English longer than that. I agree with Xenospiza.

Niels
 
Still very little response to the first "in or of" question ...

Thereby; after re-reading the two OD's (from 1856 and 1872), over and over, I will go for the same explanation as James and the HBW Alive Key; reasonably the Province Chiriquí, established in 1849 (which, in its turn, got its name from the "ancient" lowland/coastal Region by the same name).

Not the Volcano, and certainly not the River ...

The only disturbing piece is the Note for the Type specimen of the Chiriquí Yellowthroat Geothlypis chiriquensis in the Type collection of the British Natural History Museum (here): "Location: Volcan de Chiriqui, Veragua, 1870" ... leaving us with a tiny, tiny dot of hesitation.

But I don´t think Osbert Salvin whould have written that this Bird "... exists in Chiriqui", if he was thinking of the Volcano. I strongly doubt it was found inside the Vulcano itself .... ;)

And as today's Veraguas (also a Province) lies east of Chiriquí (and certainly far east of the Volcano). I will simply trust the words of Salvin.

If chiriquensis (or/and chiriquiquensis?) in other, different species refers to the older Region itself (or even the Volcano) is a whole different issue (and even if so, of no concern ... at least not to me).

I will also add (thanks to "Xenospiza") that the Original (Costa Rican Native/Indian tribal) name Chiriquí (or Cheriqué) meant "Valley of the Moon". Just for the fun of it!

I´m done ... (on this one).

Björn
 
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