• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Nomina mystica or Nomina deliria ... !? (1 Viewer)

Björn Bergenholtz

(former alias "Calalp")
Sweden
Guys ... I´m a bit puzzled. I truly don´t know what to think, how to treat or value, Eugène Rey's book Synonymik der Europäischen Brutvögel und Gäste ... from 1872 (here). To me it seems like this book is full of, over-loaded with, misspellings and erroneous names (a work of a Madman?!), but it also includes quite a few (possibly missed) names not included in today's HBW Alive Key!?!

As I had to glance through it (looking for any possibly missed "Swedish" names), I noticed quite a few unfamiliar names (alt. spelling versions, typos, errors, etc., etc.), and I thought it was a good idea to share those, the ones that caught the eye, with anyone concerned, whomever interested ...

Only the List of synonyms (Synonymik) goes on and on, ... for 86 pages! (pp.161-247). See the next-coming posts. But beware! This thread will be a loooong, and lingering piece ;)

I will post them all separately, post after post, simply to make it easier for anyone to comment on either one onwards. In total it will be 48 posts after this one!

Enjoy them all! Or at least some of them ...

And; sorry James, for the extra work-load!

Björn

PS. If not a Madman, Eugène Rey must have been very sloppy or maybe he had a ditto printer? Or simply a terrible handwriting!? Either way; at least he noted a few names that isn´t listed in today's Key. Who Mr Rey himself was? His Obituary (Nachruf), here.

PPS. Rey's Paper was also recently commented (yesterday) by Laurent, in thread Cercotrichas / Crythropygia, in the Bird Taxonomy and Nomenclature Forum (here).
 
Bits and pieces, randomly spotted in ...

Synonymik der Europäischen Brutvögel und Gäste (Systematisches Verzeichniss nebst Angaben über die geographische Verbreitung der Arten unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Brutverhältnisse), by Eugène Rey, 1872.

Missing ones in red, names in blue are (most likely) typos/errors alt. subsequent spellings (and, as such, not included, and shouldn´t be included in the Key, following its practise). The synonymity follows what´s claimed by Eugène Rey (with some comments). If he´s correct in all those claims? I haven´t got a clue! Most of them are fairly easy to figure out, but not all om them. A least not for me.

Ok; here goes ...

The following names all found in the "Synonymik" part alone (pp.161-247).

No. 1, from page 163: [Acnemius (sic)] "gymnopodius. Gray. 67"
[According to Rey (No. 67); a synonym of today's (Eurasian) Scops owl Otus scops]

... no idea where, or based on what, this name originated.
 
No. 2, from page 166: "[Alcedo] jaguacate. Dum. 100"
[According to Rey (No. 100); a synonym of today's Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon]

... clearly a typo as it is: Alcedo jaguacati DUMONT 1816 (here)
 
No. 3, from page 172: "[Astur] polyoparejus. Heugl. (X?X ad.) 22"
[According to Rey (No. 22); a synonym of today's Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes]

... no idea where, or based on what, this name originated.

And what symbol is that? A tilted/Up-side-down Male?
 
No. 4, from page 173: "[Botaurus] fretihudsonis. Briss. 456"
[According to Rey (No. 456); a synonym of today's American bittern Botaurus lentiginosus]

.. most likely originating from what´s originally written tri-parted (but pre-trinomina!), as; "Botarus Freti Hudsonis" BRISSON 1760 (as of here or here).

Note that the latter book also lists an Ardea, a Porphyrio, and a Grus, by the same name! And a subspecies as "Pluvialis aurea Freti Hudsonis". I assume this Freti originates in the Latin word fretensis (or something close to it?) as the Bittern is a k a "le butor de la Baye de Hudson" (in French).

Today (I guess) all of those ought to be written as (one word) "fretihudsonis" similar to, for example; all different "N/novae Hollandiae" (today novahollandiae) or likewise ... ?

Also note that Rey lists a subspecies as "[Anser] sylvestris fretihudsonis Briss. 478" (on page 169)", as well as a "[Strix] fretihudsonis. Briss. 52", on p.235!
 
No. 5, from page 176: "[Caprimulgus] Wiedespergi. Rchb. (?) 71"
[According to Rey (No. 71); a synonym of today's Long-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus climacurus]

... most likely a typo? As I assume we´re looking at "Caprimulgus Wiederspergii" REICHENBACH 1846 (here), ... in the Key: "syn. Chordeiles minor".
 
No. 6, from page 177: "[Carpodacus] Peyraudei. Gr. 320"
[According to Rey (No. 320); a synonym of today's Trumpeter Finch Rhodopechys githaginea/Bucanetes githagineus]

... which, most likely, must be a typo; for “Carpodagus [sic] payraudei” by (Baron) Bettino Ricasoli 1853 (OD unseen), but see here (p.162). Also compare with page 205 (below).
 
No. 7, from page 178: "[Certhialauda] Boyi. Blyth. 274"
[According to Rey (No. 274); a synonym of today's Crested Lark Galerida cristata]

... ought to be yet another typo, this time for "C. [Certhialauda] Boysii" BLYTH 1846 (here, in text).
 
No. 8, from page 182: "[Columba] dowraca. Hodgs. 343"
[According to Rey (No. 343); as I understand it, a synonym of today's debated African Collared-Dove Streptopelia (roseogrisea) risoria!?]

... which Rey must (or at least could) have read about (and misspelled and misidentified) in Bonaparte's Coup d'oeil sur l'ordre des pigeons, 1855 (here).

Hodgson original text/name/spelling is unknown to me. Or is it simply "T. [Turtur] douraca" HODGSON 1844, here, in text, no description? The latter nowadays a synonym for (Eurasian) Collared-dove Streptopelia decaocto. If so; yet another error.
 
No. 9, from page 186: "[Curruca] manca. Hempr. u. Ehr. (Afrika) (?) 220"
[According to Rey (No. 220); a synonym of "Sylvia melanocephala. Lath.", a bird I assume is equal of today's Sardinian warbler Sylvia melanocephala GMELIN?]

... but could Rey have been aiming for "Curruca nana" HEMPRICH & EHRENBERG 1833? A double typo!?! And even if so, the latter is today's (Asian) Desert Warbler (Curruca) Sylvia nana ... !? Or what bird is manca?
 
No. 10, also from on page 186: "[Curruca] Heineckeni. Jard. 213" + "[Sylvia] Heineckeni. Jard. (Madeira)", on p.237
[According to Rey (No. 213); a synonym of today's (Eurasian) Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla]

Apparently there is, or was, a "Curruca Heineckeni", by Jardine (OD unseen), mentioned at least here; claimed to have been published in; "Edinb. Journ. nat. geogr. sc. IV. 241".

Which I assume is The Edinburgh Journal of (Natural and Geographical) Science (only vol. 2 and 3 is in the BHL). But I assume it´s yet another typo, for today's subspecies Sylvia atricapilla heineken JARDINE 1830. According to the Richmond card (here) this subspecies is described as "Curruca Heineken" (no ending-i), in the same Edinburgh journal, ... but in No. 1! On p.243!? A remarkable amount of "typos" in those days!?

Anyone who have seen it?

The same journal (No.1) is also includes "Columba Trocaz" HEINEKEN 1829, on p.230 ... here. But nothing on any "Curruca Heineken" on p.243.?

I wonder if his name truly was Heineken or Heinecken?
 
No. 11, from page 189: "[Emberiza] melbyensis. Sparrm. 285"
[According to Rey (No. 285); a synonym of today's Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana]

One of my "Swedish" ones! And yet another typo!

= "Emberiza maelbyensis" SPARRMAN 1786 (here, and Plate here), today's Ortolan Bunting E. hortulana. ... named after Mälby, Sweden.
 
No. 12, from page 192: "[Falco] Bansci. Temm. 24"
[According to Rey (No. 24); as I understand it, a synonym equal of today's Gabar Goshawk (Melierax) Micronisus gabar?]

I´ve got no idea on where to find, or how to interpret; "Bansci".
 
No. 13, from page 193: "[Falco] hinnularis. Lath. 32"
[According to Rey (No. 32); a synonym of today's White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla]

= [Falco] hinnularius LATHAM 1790 (here)
 
No. 14, also from page 193: "[Falco] kober" Vieill. 20"
[According to Rey (No. 20); a synonym of today's Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus]

Could be "Falco kobez" SERRES 1842 (here, in text) ... a k a Le Faucon kobez (in French) by Vieillot?
 
No. 15, yet another one from page 193: "[Falco] smirillus. Savi. 19"
[According to Rey (No. 19); a synonym of "Falco aesalon", today the Merlin subspecies Falco columbarius aesalon]

= "Falco Smirillus" SAVIGNY 1809 (here) ... ! Looks like Rey got it right on this one! ;)

Compare with the spelling in today's Key:
smirrilus
Icelandic name Smyrill for the Merlin (syn. Falco columbarius).
If the same?
 
No. 16, also from page 193: "[Falco] sonniensis. Lath. 43"
[According to Rey (No. 43); a synonym of today's Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus]

= "F. [Falco] Sonninensis LATHAM 1801or 1802 (here) a k a "Sonnini's Falcon"
... according to day's Key: "syn. Elanus leucurus" ... (a Central/South American species)!?

But ... Latham clearly states: "Habitat in Ægypto ..."

Missed, or a different bird, all together!?
 
No. 17, from page 194: "[Fedoa] tereckensis. Steph. 436"
[According to Rey (No. 436); a synonym of today's Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus]

... which ought to have its origin in "Fedoa Terekensis" STEPHENS (in Shaw) 1824, here.
 
No. 18, from page 195: "[Fringilla] sosea. Pall. 324"
[According to Rey (No. 324); a synonym of today's Parrot Crossbill Loxia pytyopsittacus]

... which ought to be "Fringilla rosea" PALLAS 1776 (here, p.699).

Sigh! By now it sure starts to get tedious with all of Rey's typos!
 
No. 19, from page 197: "[Ganga] chata. Pall. 347"
[According to Rey (No. 347); a synonym of "Pterocles alchata. Steph."]

... which ought to originate in "Tetrao Chata" PALLAS 1811 (here).

If an emendation of Linnaeus's Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata, from 1766, is unknown to me ... ?
 
Warning! This thread is more than 1 year ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top