Enrique Arcé and "his" Blue-and-gold Tanager (1 Viewer)

While dealing with some birds described by Osbert Salvin I came across his long-standing helping hand Enrique Arcé, commemorated in ...

arcaei as in:
● the Blue-and-gold Tanager (Buthraupis) Bangsia arcaei SCLATER & SALVIN 1869 (here, and Plate here) as "Buthraupis arcæi":

This well-marked species of the Tanagrine genus Buthraupis we have the pleasure of dedicating to Enrique Arcé, its discoverer, as likewise that of many other fine species of Central-American birds.

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In my MS (and notes) I only have him as a local, Guatemalan collector (trained by Salvin), who moved to Western Panama in the 1860's, where lived in the Province Chiriquí and also collected in Veraguas ... until at least 1870, when he collected the Type of the Chiriqui Yellowthroat Geothlypis chiriquensis SALVIN 1872. But after that he simply vanished ... at least out of my view?

However; here he is mentioned by Salvin (in 1878) as "our late collector, Enrique Arcé, ..."

Which is why I´m in some doubt of the "fl." (flourished/still alive) part in today's Key:

arcaei
Enrique Arcé (fl. 1895) Guatemaltecan collector in Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama (Bangsia).

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Anyone who know more on this guy?

Would be fun to know (even if he isn´t commemorated in any Swedish Common name), thereby only tip-toing in the margins of my MS ...

Björn

PS. Not to confuse with his Brother David or his relative (possibly Son? Or Grandson?) "Enriquito". The latter is known to have collected all until 1900-1901, still going strong preparing Birds together with Tollef Mönniche, in Chiriquí, in 1937. See Storrs L. Olson, 2008 (here).

Maybe here some hint to find him.

ARCE Napoleón Agrónomo. Periodista. Poeta. Nació en Chitra, Distrito de Calobre, Provincia de Veraguas, el 22 de mayo de 1887. Hijo de David Arce (guatemalteco) y Alejandra López. (Su padre fue Naturalista. Coleccionó lo fauna del Istmo de Panamá para los Museos de Historia Natural de Paris, Londres y Berlin. Decendiadel Procer M. J. de Arce)

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Björn,
When I just checked the Key it says "fl. 1870" (altho' my Helm Dictionary does quote "fl. 1895").

James, I don't follow. Yes, today's Key does say "fl. 1870", but it did say "fl. 1895", on that certain day (the 6th September 2018), just like I quoted it (in line with what was told in your 2010 dictionary).

That's what made me post/start this thread, simply as I found it hard to belive, after having found Salvin's phrase from 1878.

It sure is an Alive Key.

/B

Björn,
Fair enough, I hadn't realised that you were quoting the Key from over a year ago. It is always best to check the current Key (see final paragraph of Guide to Key Entries). Harmony reigns.

James Jobling said:

Björn,
Fair enough, I hadn't realised that you were quoting the Key from over a year ago. It is always best to check the current Key (see final paragraph of Guide to Key Entries). Harmony reigns.

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What Björn said was that the thread was from over a year ago ...

Niels

This is what I collected, many years ago

ARCÉ, Enrique – Guatemalan. Collector at Panama 1866-1870. It is unclear if he and his brother David Acré are two separate persons. He (or they) delivered specimens to Osbert Salvin from the environments of the Chiriqui Volcano.
°Typ des. O. Salvin described; White-crested Coquette Lophornis adorabilis (1870) Syntype BMNH
°Col. 4 specimens arrived via Gustav Adolph Frank in Leiden. AMNH: - 1 skin; USNM: - 298 skins
°Bio. 1). Sauer G.C. 1995. John Gould the Bird Man: Associates and Subscribers. New York; Olson, S.L., and C. Violani. 1996. Some unusual hybrids of Ramphocelus, with remarks on evolution in the genus (Aves: Thraupinae). Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali Bollettino (Torino) 13: 297–312; 2). Olsen S, 2008. Falsified data of specimens collected by J.H. Batty. American Museum Novitates (3620): 1-37

It might be worth to look into Orchids and ordeals in Guatemala and England 1830 to 1867 : 260 letters George Ure Skinner as I found e.g.

The fever for Cattleya dowiana was responsible for the arrival of Karl Kramer, a German, from Panama in Costa Rica in 1866, supposedly to replace Enrique Arce, the Guatemalan collector sent to Costa Rica by G. Ure Skinner in his obsessive search for the yellow Cattleya from Turrialba.

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From here-

Here Godman and Salvin wrorte:

Enrique Arcé was engaged by us during our joint visit to this country, and we afterwards sent him to Chiriqui and Veraguas, in the State of Panama.

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I gave Enrique Arcé yet another (quick) try, and I think we might be able to narrow down the occurrence of his Death somewhat ...

To start with; Osbert Salvin wrote, in Ibis, (No. VL, April), 1872 (here): "Some months ago our collector in Veragua, Enrique Arce, ...", which was/is a sort of understatement (the "some months" part), as this bird (the Type itself) was collected in 1870 (here). The same Salvin, also wrote, also in Ibis (No. XXIII, July), 1876 (here): "... our late collector, Enrique Arcé, ..." (same words as he used in 1878, quoted in post #1).

Enrique Arcé seemingly died, at some point (in or pre-1876), between those papers. Most likely in Panama.

He is listed as the collector of various type specimens (at least on 9 pages) in Deignan's Type Specimens of Birds in the United States National Museum, 1961 (here), all collected in "Panamá".

Also see the following links; here, here and here. The latter indicates that he was still alive in 1876. At least in around 1875 and (early?) 1876.

For other clues and context) see: Olsen, S. 2008. Falsified data of specimens collected by J.H. Batty. American Museum Novitates (3620): pp. 1-37; here.

Other bits and pieces is to be found in Ossenbach's ORCHIDS AND ORCHIDOLOGY IN CENTRAL AMERICA. 500 YEARS OF HISTORY (2009) , pp. 67-68, &111 (here).

Another detail/clue, that might help us/anyone to find him, was told in Anales del Museo Nacional 1 (No. 12), El Salvador, 1905:

"Los señores Miguel y Enrique Arce, nativos de San Jerónimo, habiendo acompañado el segundo de ellos siempre a Salvin en sus excursiones, haciendo exploraciones por encargo de ..."

[here, bottom link, p.617]​

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Anyone (understanding Spanish) who knows anything additional?

But beware, when searching/looking for him; there are several namesakes out there! Both modern and contemporary.

I'm pretty glad he's not one of "my guys".

However; enjoy & Good luck finding him!

Björn


PS. Also note the following phrase/quote, where we find Enrique Arcé in the same context as Don Julian Carmiol (!):

" ... El material traído de estos lugares es de tanta mayor importancia cuanto que si se exceptúa a Enrique Arce, el conocido coleccionista de Salvini, nadie ha examinado tanto las pendientes de las montañas centroamericanas como Carmiol."

[from here, pp.84-85]​

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Suddenly different (recent) threads intertwine!
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Maybe here gives us a hint where he died.

Of this species we have only a single male specimen, which was sent us by our collector, Enrique Arcé, in one of his last collections.

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So Bibalaz in Chirique might be close to his place of death. But here he left Panama.

Nothing additional found ... only confirmations on what we already know.

The Holotype of "Automolus fumosus", today's Ruddy Foliage-gleaner ssp. (Clibanornis) Automolus rubiginosus fumosus SALVIN & GODMAN 1891 is registered here, but nothing (as far as I can tell) about exactly when it was collected.

In the list of contributors, in The history of the collections contained in the Natural history departments of the British museum, 1906, here (top of page 20), he's nothing but: "Arcé (E.).", noted only as active in "1869", but on page 371 (in the entry for Frederic Du Cane Godman) we're told a bit more, of his background (and how Enrique Arcé found his way into Natural History):

In August, 1861, Dr. Godman went with Mr. Salvin to Guatemala, remaining a month in Jamaica en route. A year spent in Guatemala, collecting birds and insects in various parts of the country. While there they instructed some natives in the art of preserving bird-skins, and by these pupils several collections were afterwards despatched to England. The best known of these collectors was Enrique Arcé, who did some excellent work in Costa Rica and Panama.

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"Best known ...", sure, but still, more or less, unknown.

/B