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duchaillui (1 Viewer)

Taphrospilus

Well-known member
Maybe here anyone knows the exact birth date of Paul Belloni du Chaillu. The french Wiki here seems well researched. But if I look at the english here there seems to be some doubts as James seems to have as well as the key tells us:

Paul Belloni du Chaillu (?1831-1903) French/US explorer in central Africa 1855-1859, 1863-1865, hunter, anthropologist (Buccanodon, syn. Terpsiphone viridis speciosa).

OD Buccanodon duchaillui and syn. Terpsiphone viridis speciosa alias Muscipeta duchaillui.
 
In my MS I have no years for "Duchaillu" [i.e. Paul Belloni du Chaillu], as his only mentioned in context, as the one who (in 1853) collected of the type of Woodhouse's Antpecker (alt. Red-headed ditto) Parmoptila woodhousei CASSIN 1859 (as well as 127 other taxon, more than a dozen earlier unknown).

To me this talk strongly in favour of the earlier year/s given in English Wiki; "Born July 31, 1831/1835/1839". The same hesitance, or at least some ambivalence, seems to be present in France (his original nationality). Note that French Wiki, in their Notes, No.1, writes: Des controverses ont existé autour de la date (1831, 1835 ou 1837) et du lieu de naissance (île Bourbon, Paris, Dakar, La Nouvelle-Orléans ou la Caroline du Sud) de Paul Du Chaillu. Sa pierre tombale indique, elle, la Louisiane"

Either way; I would exclude the possibility of him being born in "1839". I doubt he was only 14 when he explored the forests of Gabon. ;)

To me, without digging into it any deeper, it looks like French Wiki is the most trustworthy (this said without understanding it/French), simply by reference to the English ditto, and the phrase; "... (the consensus of modern scholars) ..."

That's all I've got, Martin. Sorry for not being able to give you a complete/better answer.

Good luck pinpointing him.

Björn
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