Alexander Smith's "Red-headed Flowerpecker Weaverfinch", or simply "his" Antpecker
I might as well deliver/contribute with something myself to this old thread, (even if of less impact on today's nomenclature), regarding ...
alexandri as in:
● the invalid "
Lobornis alexandri" SHARPE 1874, OD in post #2, end part [
i.e. most likely a juvenile specimen of Woodhouse's Antpecker
Parmoptila woodhousei CASSIN 1859, a k a Red-headed Antpecker alt. Flowerpecker Weaver Finch (or the somewhat unwieldy, loooong English name; Red-headed Flowerpecker Weaverfinch!)]
... which ought to be aimed at Dr.
Alexander Smith (
1818–
1883), whose full name was
John Alexander Smith Scottish naturalist, Medical doctor, Presbyterian missionary in
Old Calabar [today's Akwa Akpa, in southern Nigeria], Member of several creditable societies, corresponding member of ditto/s ..., etc., etc.
In short; born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in June 1818 (no exact date) .. died in Churchill, Morningside (in the same Town), 17th of August 1883.
All based on what's told
here (and the OD, of course) + his
Obituary, in the
Edinburgh Medical Journal, 29 (3): pp. 286-288, (of Sept. 1883);
here alt.
here.
Re. the Generic name; "
Lobornis alexandri" SHARPE 1874, from (Greek)
lobos lobe [like/in line with; the lobe of the ear/ear lobe] +
ornis bird; "... distinguishable by the lobes near the gape. When the bird was first taken out of spirit these lobes were very distinct, three in number, and pure white; they have almost disappeared since the bird was skinned" (Sharpe 1874), "... It has recently been proved [
*] that these white lobes are a sign of immaturity, and
L. alexandri is only the young of a
Parmoptila, probably
P. woodhousei. (Sharpe 1906).
Enjoy!
Björn
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*Probably the lobes, or "waxy-glands" (the expansions and warts at the posterior edge of the upper mandible and ...)",
as noted by Butler/St. Quintin/Russ, in 1898, here, alt./a k a "beak-warts", by Butler, in 1899, here (pp.117, 127).
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