Young Alfred's Russet-backed Oropendola (1 Viewer)

Following in the footpath of the French ornithologist Œillet Des Murs and some of "his" birds I stumbled upon this one ...

alfredi as in:
• the subspecies subspecies Psarocolius angustifrons alfredi DES MURS 1856 (here and Plate here, fig. 2), as "Cassicus Alfredi" a k a Cassique d'Alfred (in French):

M. de Castelnau a aussi rapporté de la vallée de Santa-Anna un autre exemplaire de Cassique que nous serions assez disposé à considérer comme espèce distincte, et auquel nous donnons le nom qui précède, pour encourager à la Science un enfant qui nous est cher.

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Today's HBW Alive Key has the following explanation:

alfredi
[...]
● Male eponym; after a child dear to des Murs, probably a son, in the hope that the dedication would instil in him a love of science, but no further clarification provided (des Murs 1856, in Castelnau, Expéd. Amérique Sud, Zool., I, Oiseaux, livr. 18, 67) (subsp. Psarocolius angustifrons).
[...]

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... which I think (!) most likely is aimed at Alfred Henri Edme Œillet Des Murs*, who looks like the only (known?) son of Marc Athanase Parfait Œillet Des Murs (1804–1894), which makes this Alfred a possible dedicatee. He seems to have been born 26 June 1842, and thereby just a kid when this bird was described.

No date, year nor place of his death found. I believe Alfred's only sibling was a sister by the name Geneviève.

That is, if Monsieur de Castelnau didn´t have a kid named Alfred as well ... !?

If it´s him; here (p.21), here, here (p.121) and here (p.110) ... !? I cannot tell for sure. I assume you need to know French to get the whole Picture.

Anyone know anything additional?

Björn

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*I doubt his name was "Albert Henri Edme Des Murs", as have been claimed, at least on the German Wiki-page (here). Note; the latter is based only one one reference; Annales de la Société entomologique de France, from 1862 (here, top of page), which doesn´t tell us more than: DES MURS (A.-H.-Edme), rue Saint-Louis au Marais, 17. ..."

And he´s not even mentioned on any other Wiki-pages!

And by the way; does this mean that the Family/Surname of the guy we've always known as Mr "Des Murs" actually was tri-parted ... ?!?

That he, and his kids, all belonged to the Œillet Des Murs Family? :eek!:

Or?

/B

Calalp said:

*I doubt his name was "Albert Henri Edme Des Murs", as have been claimed, at least on the German Wiki-page (here). Note; the latter is based only one one reference; Annales de la Société entomologique de France, from 1862 (here, top of page), which doesn´t tell us more than: DES MURS (A.-H.-Edme), rue Saint-Louis au Marais, 17. ..."

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He was one of the persons who reported the death of his father to the administration, and as such he appears on the death certificate, a scan of which can be seen on this German Wikipedia page. [This]:

[...] ont comparu Mr. Alfred Henri Edme Oeillet des Murs, juge de paix, âgé de cinquante-un ans, fils du défunt ci-après nommé, demeurant à Tiercé (Maine et Loire), et [...], lesquels nous ont déclaré que le jour d'hier, à huit heure du matin, Monsieur Marc Athanase Parfait Oeillet des Murs [...], fils de feu Jacques Philippe Athanase Oeillet des Murs et de feue Marie Henriette Gard son épouse, [...] est décédé en son domicile [...]

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(And yes, it seems indeed that Oeillet des Murs was their surname.)

[Here], it is written that Alfred's activity as justice of the peace ended on 30 Jan 1897 because of his death.

He was born in Paris, according the état civil reconstitué ([here]; in "Type de document", select "Naissances"; in "Nom de la personne recherchée", enter "Oeillet"; open the 4th file (V3E/N 1714); go to 6/51). 26 Jun 1842 indeed.

Well done, Laurent! :t:

Sure looks like a highly likely dedicatee, in concordance with; "... un enfant qui nous est cher" (Google Translate; "... a child who is dear to us").

Any sight of any other Son by the name Alfred?

Björn

l_raty said:

[Here], it is written that Alfred's activity as justice of the peace ended on 30 Jan 1897 because of his death.

He was born in Paris, according the état civil reconstitué ([here]; in "Type de document", select "Naissances"; in "Nom de la personne recherchée", enter "Oeillet"; open the 4th file (V3E/N 1714); go to 6/51). 26 Jun 1842 indeed.

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It does not look like he died in Tiercé. In here we can find:

Juge de paix à Thiercé (Maine-et-Loire), M. MACLE, juge de paix de la Fresnaye en remplacement de M. OEillet des Murs, décédé.

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It was Louis Pierre Paul Macle who replaced him.

He died on 26 Nov 1896 in Nogent-le-Rotrou, Eure-et-Loir: here, 70/79, #214 (as "Edme Alfred Oeillet des Murs").

Attached is from Dictionnaire biographique sur les pensionnaires de l'académie royale de Juilly (1651-1828) Tome III (1796-1828) by Etienne Broglin

Alfred Henri Edme Œillet des Murs (1842-1896) was born in Paris on June 26, 1842; justice of the peace, single, living in Tiercé, born in Paris (former 8th arrondissement) on June 26, 1842, son of the late Marc Athanase Parfait Œillet des Murs and late Dame Caroline Euphrasie Naulot, he died on November 26, 1896 (death declared two days later) in Nogent-le-Rotrou at the home of his sister, Miss Geneviève Œillet des Murs, rentier, 78, rue Dorée in this city, November 28, 1896. (Banquets of July from 1842-1864, 1867 and 1870; G. Vapereau, Universal dictionary of contemporaries; Civil status reconstituted from the archives of the Seine; Civil status of Nogent-le-Rotrou).