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Athene blewitti (1 Viewer)

Susan Manchester

Well-known member
Mr Hume named this species for Mr F. R. Blewitt, who he said in his dedication was a dedicated oologist and collector. I have been reading for about an hour now, and I am finding a plethora of statements that Mr Blewitt made, and even an article that he wrote, but I cannot find what the initials F. R. are for. It is so frustrating when someone who is apparently as famous as he was does not have more information written about him. I hope that all of you are well; I have not been here for a while.
 
Susan

Blewitt's Owl is named in honour of William Turnbull Blewitt (b 1816 Meerut; D. 14 April 1889 Dehra Dun), who was first to collect it.

His older brother was Francis Robert (born 1815).

Also, their father was also a Francis Robert (B. 1787; D. 23 August 1836 Meerut), who went to India in 1806 to join the 8th Light Dragoons Regiment.

The question is did William Turnbull use "FR" to honour his father, his elder brother, or both?

Or did William Turnbull prefer to use "FR" as his collecting pseudonym, because he was worried that his employer (he was a customs-tax collector for the British government in Punjab) might think he was spending too nuch time out of the office?


Shi Jin

Beijing


Here are a couple of links to interesting papers on Blewitt's Owl:

http://www.globalowlproject.com/pap...tion_of_conservation_issues._Final_Report.pdf

http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/publications/bullfeats/forowlet.html

http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/publications/forktail/14pdfs/Rasmussen-ForestOwlet.pdf
 
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Hume is quite clear both in the description of his new genus Heteroglaux and the type description of blewitti that the bird was collected by and named for Mr F. R. Blewitt, but seems to give no further details of him (at least on this occasion), other than to praise his dedication in collecting the type and his general ornithological zeal.
 
Intriguing.

Thanks for the link to Stray Feathers. What a brilliant book.

On page 49, Hume provides another clue, which appears to blow apart my pseudonymn theory:

"During my visit to Sindh
I saw countless multitudes of Flamingoes, but only of the larger
species, but the boatmen themselves volunteered the information
that a much smaller bright-red bird of the same kind was seen
occasionally in the hot weather. In the Nujjufgurh Jheel, near
Delhi, my friend, Mr. Robert Blewitt, informs me that he has
occasionally seen a single specimen in the spring".


However, several sources, including the Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names, state that blewitti was collected by and named in honour of William Turnbull Blewitt.

The plot thickens.


Shi Jin
 
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Thanks for the link to Stray Feathers. What a brilliant book.


Just for the record Stray Feathers was a journal of sorts (Hume's own), not a book. I haven't double-checked, but I believe all of the volumes are available on BHL.

I suspect you’ll find that the several sources who give Blewitt the initials W. T. all copied one another. However, James Jobling occasionally comes on here, so perhaps he will be able to enlighten us more on that issue...
 
I am always so happy to be able to get back on this genius forum, and read the stimulating answers to my inquiries. You did it again, Guy, and you too, DMW! I am grateful to hear from you, Shi Jin! I don't believe I have heard from you before, but I will be following your entries from now on. Thank you all!
 
Is there any reason to treat Heteroglaux as full genus?
König & Weick 2008 (Owls of the World):
The recently rediscovered Athene blewitti, previously considered extinct, seems to be rather distant from the three other species of Athene, as it inhabits primary forest and differs morphologically. Further investigations may perhaps indicate removing it from Athene, placing it in a separate genus Heteroglaux.

The tail-flicking behaviour (see Habits) argues against a close relationship with other Athene owls and suggests a closer affinity with the Glaucidium pygmy owls.
 
König & Weick 2008 (Owls of the World):

Thanks for the information. By the way. It would be interesting to see when Clements changed the genus name from Athene to Heteroglaux as it belongs to the few current authorities which listed the Forest owlet still as Athene blewitti.
 
Thanks for the information. By the way. It would be interesting to see when Clements changed the genus name from Athene to Heteroglaux as it belongs to the few current authorities which listed the Forest owlet still as Athene blewitti.

Clements? It uses "Athene" today and has done so since at least the 5th edition, which was published about 2000. I don't have ready access to any earlier editions.
 
Rasmussen & Collar 2013

Rasmussen & Collar 2013. Phenotypic evidence for the specific and generic validity of Heteroglaux blewitti. Forktail 29: 78–87.
The genus Heteroglaux was established for the Forest Owlet H. blewitti when the species was first described, but owing to certain similarities with Spotted Owlet Athene brama, the use of Heteroglaux fell into disuse in the twentieth century until the species was rediscovered in 1997, and is still not universal; moreover, perceptions appear to linger that blewitti might even be conspecific with brama owing to a recent claim of interbreeding. In reality blewitti is distinct from brama on external morphology (plumage described elsewhere; narial position related to bill width; bill height; more heavily feathered toes; length of middle and hind claws; wing formula) and osteology, in which blewitti is distinct from all three species of Athene (multiple cranial elements, especially the greatly widened and inflated frontal, and the extremely stout tarsometatarsus). Lateral tail-flicking and direct, non-undulating flight further support generic separation.
Also:
  • King & Rasmussen 1998. The rediscovery of the Forest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti. Forktail 14: 53–55. [pdf]
  • Rasmussen & Collar 1998. Identification, distribution and status of the Forest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti. Forktail 14: 43–51. [pdf]
  • Rasmussen & Collar 1999. Major specimen fraud in the Forest Owlet Heteroglaux (Athene auct.) blewitti. Ibis 141(1): 11–21. [pdf]
  • Rasmussen & Ishtiaq 1999. Vocalizations and behaviour of the Forest Owlet Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti. Forktail 15: 61–65. [pdf]
Recent treatments:
  • Heteroglaux: H&M4, IOC, BirdLife, Mikkola 2012
  • Athene: HBW, eBird/Clements, König & Weick 2008
 
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Here´s the whole text (attached), both regarding Heteroglaux and "Blewitti" HUME 1873!
 

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