Brother Nicéforo in Niceforo’s Wren … with questions of Spanish!? (1 Viewer)

There seem to be some contradicting opinions (in various sources) on this man, but as far as I understand, the Critically Endangered … :

Niceforo’s Wren (Thryophilus) Thryothorus nicefori (sometimes written "Nicéforo's Wren") commemorates the (French, later) Colombian missionary and collector: Brother Hermano Nicéforo María (1888–1980), whose actual birth name was Antoine Rouhaire (Siauzade!?), born 28th of February 1888, in the Village Lavoûte-Chilhac (Haute-Loire, South Central France) and died on the 24th of February 1980, in Fusagasugá (Cundinamarca, Colombia) – only four days before his 92nd birthday.

This Wren was described by Meyer de Schauensee in 1946, in Notulae Naturae of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia No.182 where he wrote:

"Among the birds contained in a small collection sent to me for identification by Brother Nicéforo Maria of Bogotá, is a remarkable new wren …
[…]
Type: –♂ ad., no. 31, collection of Brother Nicéforo Maria collected at San Gil (South of Bucaramanga) Santander, Colombia, on November 19, 1945.
Range. –Known only from a single specimen from the type locality.
Relationship. –Brother Nicéforo's Wren, although not closely …"

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Link to this article:http://books.google.se/books?id=MjASnOLwTmEC&pg=PP1&dq=Notulae+Naturae+182+Nicefori&hl=sv&sa=X&ei=cbNeUoW_PI6M4gTHqoBA&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Notulae%20Naturae%20182%20Nicefori&f=false

That´s all Meyer de Schauensee revealed of this man … and so far I understand!

But there was an exhaustive, apparently thoroughly researched article about his life published some years ago; Rodríguez, G. 2002. El naturalista Antoine Rouhaire (Hermano Nicéforo María) y el desarrollo de la zoología sitemática en Colombia. Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales 26 (99): 229-238. (attached)

But since I don´t know any Spanish it is impossible to understand. Without even trying to have anyone translating (or summaries) the whole article, that would be asking too much, I have some questions that someone who understands Spanish, and feels like reading, might answer?

1. Are the above mentioned dates, names and places correct?
2. Was his full birth name "Antoine Rouhaire Siauzade" or just "Antoine Rouhaire" (as in the head-line of the article)?
3. When did he change his name/took his monastic name?
4. When did he leave for Colombia, and why?
5. Which title or titles are correct to give him; Monk, Missionary, Priest, Pastor, Father or … are either Ornithologist, Herpetologist, Ichthyologist or Taxidermist appropriate according to this article?
6. What was his most important contributions to Natural Science?
7. Any other Birds, or interesting species, mentioned?
8. And, if you feel like it; as well as curiosities or just knowledgeable fun or fascinating facts?

Any feel like explaining?

An interesting attachment. Hermano = Brother (i.e. Hermano Niceforo Maria = Brother Niceforo Maria). Niceforo went to Colombia in 1908, having studied in Belgium and Luxembourg, and joined the La Salle Brothers in Medellin. His work was prolific; 9 genera and over 130 species were described from his collections, and species named for him included 103 plants, 3 spiders, 2 crustacea, 5 fishes, 7 lizards and snakes, 1 salamander, 7 frogs, 4 birds, and 2 fossils. Two genera (1 fossil, 1 frog) were named for him also.

Can't resist glancing at this and adding a little:

I assume his name is "Antoine Rouhaire Siauzade", but that according to Spanish custom, the last name is the mother's family name and can be dropped - someone else can correct me. It's interesting since he was born in an area belonging to France...

When he became a brother (of a Catholic order involved in education? I don't know how this is expressed in English), formally in 1905, he took on the name "Brother Niceforo Maria" and he wrote he preferred to be referred to this way (including the "Maria", I think he meant).

Well, lots left for others to add!

Gretchen said:

When he became a brother (of a Catholic order involved in education? I don't know how this is expressed in English), formally in 1905 ...

Click to expand...

Well Wikipedia has added this bit: "The Brothers of the Christian Schools" (also known as the "Christian Brothers", the "Lasallian Brothers", the "French Christian Brothers", or the "De La Salle Brothers"...). Despite having come from a city with a La Salle University, I'm sorry to say I had never heard about this group, who pledged to provide free education. It seems that "brother" is definitely how the members are addressed. (FSC after the name refers to the Latin title "Fratres Scholarum Christianarum")

2 more general papers (in Spanish) on the history of Colombian ornithology can be accessed at:

http://www.ornitologiacolombiana.org/oc7/Naranjo.pdf

http://www.sao.org.co/publicaciones/boletinsao/COM1_19(1&2)_2009.pdf

enjoy, Diego.

Thank you Diego, Gretchen and James ...

All your help will now make it possible for make an attempt to conclude my entry on Nicéforo.

As in (a short compact version):Niceforo’s Wren (Thryophilus) Thryothorus nicefori MEYER DE SCHAUENSEE 1946 (sometimes written "Nicéforo's Wren" – with the appropriate apostrophe!) does commemorate the deeply religous (Catholic), French, later Colombian, Naturalist and Collector: more widely known (from 1905 and further on) under his Monastic Name Hermano (Brother) Nicéforo María (1888–1980), or (most often!) as just Hermano Nicéforo alt. (in English) Brother Nicéforo whose actual birth name was Antoine Rouhaire (sometimes written Antoine Rouhaire Siauzade, the latter is his mother's maiden name).

He was born 28th of February 1888, in the Village Lavoûte-Chilhac (Haute-Loire, South Central France), and moved (after having finished his studies in Belgium and Luxembourg) to Medellín, Colombia in 1908, where he joined the La Salle Brotherhood and there he, whenever his monasticism allowed it, frequently collected together with padre (father) Antonio Olivares and Jorge Ignacio Hernández Camacho (Collector of Naturalia) ... and way, way later died on the 24th of February 1980, in Fusagasugá (Cundinamarca, Colombia) – only four days before his 92nd birthday.

The collections of Brother Nicéforo resulted, not only in a Wren "of his own", but also in for example the subspecies; Aratinga leucopthalmus nicefori MEYER DE SCHAUENSEE 1946 and Anas georgica niceforoi WETMORE & BORRERO 1946 (Extinct since 1952)! In total 130 hithero unknown birds was described thanks to the collections of Brother Nicéforo and he is commemorated in the Scientic names of just about as many, in over 130 Scientific names of varoius taxa; mostly plants (103!), but also several reptiles (quite a few lizards, frogs, snakes and one salamander) as well as fishes, spiders, and even fossils.

Have I got it all (not only the blue) right?

PS. + apparently some (more or less valid) Mammals: Niceforo's big-eared bat Trinycteris nicefori SANBORN 1949 and the two Rodents; Thomasomys (popayanus) "nicefori" THOMAS 1921 and Ichthyomus (hydrobates) "nicefori" THOMAS 1924!

Concerning: "whenever his monasticism allowed it" is not quite accurate (especially as he was a teacher, and not a monk!). I believe it says he was a teacher of natural science (as well as English and French) and was the organizer of the school museum. He later was involved in managing (not sure the exact position) the work of a larger natural history museum in Bogota run by the La Salle brothers, and made many trips to collect specimens for the museum. (Sorry, no time and only rusty knowledge of Spanish to do more.)

A final version of Brother Nicéforo?

Thank you Gretchen!

Your latest remark made quite a change. It all got clearer and easier to find additional info! Here is a new version (that I, of course, if anyone find it overloaded or lacking structure, will edit further on in a final, Swedish draft), but the main ingredients are (so far?) ... as follows. Changes in red – with a transpose of the end:

Niceforo’s Wren (Thryophilus) Thryothorus nicefori MEYER DE SCHAUENSEE 1946 (sometimes written "Nicéforo's Wren" – with the appropriate apostrophe!) does commemorate the deeply religous (Catholic), French, later Colombian, Naturalist and Collector: more widely known (from 1905 and further on) under his Monastic Name Hermano (Brother) Nicéforo María (1888–1980) [that also gave him the Post-nominal letters F.S.C. = Fratres Scholarum Christianarum] or (most often!) known as just Hermano Nicéforo alt. (in English) Brother Nicéforo – whose actual birth name was Antoine Rouhaire (sometimes written Antoine Rouhaire Siauzade, the latter is his mother's maiden name).

He was born 28th of February 1888, in the Village Lavoûte-Chilhac (Haute-Loire, South Central France), and moved (after having finished his studies in Belgium and Luxembourg) to Medellín, Colombia in 1908, where he joined the teaching congregation La Salle Brotherhood (a k a De La Salle Brothers or Lasallian Brothers) . There he worked as a teacher, mainly in Natural Science, but also in French and English. He was also active in the developement and re-organisation of the University Museum Museo de La Salle (a k a Museo del Instituto de la Salle) in Bogotá – whose Director he was from 1950 to 1980. Whenever his curriculum allowed it, he frequently, and extensively collected, sometimes on his own or with friends, both Monastic or fellow Naturalist's ... and way, way later died on the 24th of February 1980, in Fusagasugá (Cundinamarca, Colombia) – only four days before his 92nd birthday.

The collections of Brother Nicéforo resulted, not only in a Wren "of his own", but also in for example the subspecies; Aratinga leucopthalmus nicefori MEYER DE SCHAUENSEE 1946 and Anas georgica niceforoi WETMORE & BORRERO 1946 (Extinct since 1952)!

He is also commemorated in the Scientic names of over 130 Scientific names of varoius taxa; mostly plants (103!), but also several reptiles (quite a few lizards, frogs, snakes and one salamander) as well as fishes, spiders, at least one bat and two (highly questionable) rodents and even fossils. Thanks to the collecting efforts of Brother Nicéforo just about as many previously unknown birds was described for the first time - even if they all naturally weren´t named after him.

Better? Anyone hold a different view?

Only comment: capitalization of "De La" seems inconsistent (maybe due to your sources). I would have expected both to be non-capitalized, but that is without knowing anything about the specific brothers (apart from what I read in this thread).

Niels

Sharp eyes!

Thanks Niels!

I think you´re right. It ought to be non-capitalized, and I´ll change that, to:
"... (a k a de La Salle Brothers or Lasallian Brothers) ..."

A minor typo I assume ... but Great spotting it!

Anyone else hesitating on anything regarding Brother Nicéforo?