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A long-forgotten Scientific name ... (1 Viewer)

Björn Bergenholtz

(former alias "Calalp")
Sweden
Ok, maybe a bit "off-topic", since pre-1758 (before the cornerstone of modern taxonomy; Linnaeus's Systema naturae, 10th Ed.), but I thought it might be worth mention ... this much unnoticed (I think?) scientific name ...

"coffaevora" in …
● the unvalid scientific name "Emberiza coffaevora" ROLANDER* 1755 [found in a long-forgotten MS, only recently discovered, and published 2011, translated from Latin by Arne Jönsson, Sweden, and here to English by myself, as follows]:
"I suspect the Coffee berries giving this Bird its food, partly because it resides in the Coffee bushes, and that I remember having more than once observed them swallowing down ripe Coffeberries"
... with several more phrases, indicating the same meaning. Most likely synonymous to the basicaly omnivorous, but also fruit- and berry-eating; Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus LINNAEUS 1766, not to the similar, different-sounding Lesser Kiskadee (Philohydor) Pitangus lictor LICHTENSTEIN, 1823 nor, as speculated by some modern day Linnaeans, to Grey-headed Tanager Eucometis penicillata SPIX 1825. Note that Rolander also, in the same text, stated that their Common name, among the "Surinamese" People was (in its Swedish interpretation) "Kiskedí "! Neither one of those names ever reached his mentor the Great Linnaeus.

= Modern Latin (?) coffae coffee and Latin -vora/-vorus eating

*the fairly unknown Swedish explorer, naturalist (stubborn-headed loner and cross-patch) as well as Linnean disciple Daniel Rolander (ca.1723–1793).
 
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Björn,
A loss to dictionaries that the name coffaevora was unpublished. I agree with your etymology, but would narrow it down to: Botanical genus Coffea Linnaeus, 1737, coffee-bean; L. -vorus -eating < vorare to devour.
Does the unpublished ms contain any other evocative names?
 
James, I thought you would be interested!

And you are the Latin expert, I trust your "narrowed-down" explanation to be even more correct!

I don´t know if the ms contained any other "evocative names", I only happended to stumble upon this one when looking for the Swedish Common name "kiskadi" (Eng. Kiskadee).

I will check that book next time I go to the library, and let you know if I find any other names.

Time for yet another cup of Coffea!
 
James, I went to the libray today and browsed through the "coffaevora-book" once again …

And (Rolander is mostly into Plants, being a true Linnaean! And some insects) the only other birds mentioned, except for the "Emberiza coffaevora", is as follows:

● 9th July 1755: "Trochilus mellivora" claimed to be White-necked Jacobin [today's Florisuga mellivora]
● 9th August 1755: "Vultur moschatus" without any claim of whatever species it refers to (more than "some Vulture")
● 14th August 1755: "Meleagris gallopavo", Turkey (… but only as in comparison to the sound made by the Anteater Myrmecophaga sp.)
● 24th November 1755: "Loxia bicolor" Black-faced Grassquit [today's Tiaris bicolor] & "Trochilus major" without any claim of to what species it refers to (only as a comparison of size)
● 26th November 1755: "Colymbus arcticus", Black-throated Loon/Diver [today's Gavia arctica] (as in comparison of how the sloth "Bradypus ignavus" [?] only have one single purpouse of its legs! To climb versus to swim) & "Psittacus unicolor" (an unspecified Parrot)
● 12th December 1755: "Vultur moschatus" Now suddenly (American) Black Vulture [today's Coragyps atratus]… locally apparently a k a "Stink-vogel" ("stink-bird") + Corvus europaeus (the European Crow) and Corvus vulgaris (some other Crow) [?]

That´s all! None of those "Latin" names seem very "evocative" …

And James, for your "List of Reference's" (if you need it?) regarding "coffaevora":
Rolander, D. 1754-56. Diarium Surinamicum, quod sub itinere exotico conscripsit Daniel Rolander (MS alt. travel-log or Diary) Published only in excerpts, translated from Latin to Swedish by Prof. Arne Jönsson. In: Dobreff, J., A. Jönsson & H. Schmitz (2011). Ur regnskogens skugga; Daniel Rolander och resan till Surinam. Hagströmerbibliotekets skriftserie Nr. 11. Bokförlaget Max Ström. Stockholm.

● 28th July 1755: "Emberiza coffaevora" (pp.96, 98)
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In this book is also mentioned that the same text has been translated to English by James Dobreff.

If anyone is further interested, there is also claimed to be several other recent, even more thoughrough, works on the same subject. Those are more easy to find, just Google: Diarium Surinamicum

Cheers!
 
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