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HBWAlive Key; mission accomplished or mission impossible? (1 Viewer)

lagepa

Regarding "Alauda lagepa" SMITH 1843 (here, and Plate here, fig. 2), a k a "Lagepa Lark" (in Andersson, 1872, here) ...

Maybe (!?) worth considering is what Smith wrote (on page 57) in the Appendix of his Report of the Expedition for Exploring Central Africa from the Cape of Good (1836), covering the trip in which this (today invalid) lark was discovered:
Note.—The names given by the Natives to the objects above described, I have adopted as the trivial ones, whenever they would readily admit of such application, under an idea that ...

[here]
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Unfortunately (for us), the lagepa bird/lark/name, wasn't listed "above" in the latter work (neither are any other trivial names), nor could I find an example of where Andrew Smith himself actually used the trivial name "Lagepa Lark".

Either way; to me, it does look like lagepa is/was a local, native South African name. If it truly is/was ... is beyond what I can find.

For what it is worth.

Björn

PS. Maybe something is added in the (more recent) book Andrew Smith's Journal of his expedition into the interior of South Africa 1834-1836, by William F. Lye (editor); with contemporary illustrations by Charles Davidson Bell, ... for the South African Museum, Cape Town, 1975 (as of here).

Who knows?
 
Demelioteucus
Revised KEY:
Demelioteucus
(syn. Agelaioides Ϯ Bay-winged Cowbird A. badius) Gr. δεμελεας demeleas, δεμελεατας demeleatas leeches (i.e. parasites); τευχος case (e.g. nest), body, egg; this assumed etymology refers to the parasitic behaviour of the cowbirds (although the Baywing, distantly related to the other cowbirds, is a nest parasite rather than a brood parasite); "Familia 18. Icteridae. ... * 102. Demelioteucus badius. (VIEILL.), perm." (Stempelmann & Schulz 1890, Boletin Acad. Nac. Ciencias Córdoba, X (4), 399) (OD per Björn Bergenholtz).
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taigoor Sykes called by Hodgson taigur.
The foster father of Genghis Khan Ye-liu Ta-shi was known as Taigur. Somehow Taigur became associated in the legend of Prester John! Google it. Not sure why Sykes would name a little quail for such a grand personage? With these birds the females are the prettyist unlike most birds. The males sits on the eggs and minds the babies, while the female goes round to fight the ladies of the neighbouring families ?? In the original description Sykes capitalized Taigoor but not the species name pugnax.
 
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Thought maybe the typo by Walter Koelz and the name was dedicated by someone like Marcel Léger (1878-1934) author of...

Léger, Marcel, Hématozoaires d'oiseaux de la Corse. (Bull. soc. pathol. exot. Vol. 6. 1913. N. 7. p. 515–523)
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But this is just a thought with no clear evidence. Thought about him as I found him as well in context with India.
 
I had the same line of thought, but if we're to pick, and look for, every other Leger (Lèger/Legér, etc.) who has written anything in science/natural history, in connection to India, we're in for an impossible task ... we will only end up with loads, and loads, of possible candidatees.

A link, somehow, to Koelz ought to be the very first necessity to make it worth trying.

/B
 
cornelia.
Key: "Eponym; dedicatee not yet identified (Salvadori 1878, Atti Reale Accad. Sci. Torino, 13, 319); perhaps after a relative of Count Salvadori (OD per Björn Bergenholtz) (subsp. Leptocoma aspasia)."
45 years later Turati the son named a moth cornelia.
The Father Count Hercules Turati along with Tommaso Salvadori, described Pharomachrus xanthogaster in 1874 as the yellow-billed quetzal from Bogota
The son's moth.
cornelia Turati, 1924 (Lozopera), Atti Soc. ital. Sci. Nat. 63: 155.
 
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cornelia

Mark, don't forget (simply to save you some unwarranted work) that "Hermotimia cornelia" SALVADORI 1878 was earlier dealt with, quite extensive (back in 2015), in the thread More etymological challenges (post #5, 7, 10, 24-27) ... with no closure.

But, sure, maybe the (invalid) moth "Lozopera cornelia"*, by the entomologist E. [Emilio] Turati [1858 –1938]**, from 1924 could help ... (OD here):
Cornelia dalla moglie di Scipione africano.
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If relevant for the (much earlier) bird in question, is unknown to me.

It could be. Or not?

Björn

__________________________________________
* today a junior synonym of Aethes mauritanica WALSINGHAM 1898.
**Not to confuse with (his Father) the Italian Naturalist/Ornithologist:
Conte (Count) Ercole (Hercules) Turati, (1829–1881), of Milan (Milano),
commemorated in turati / turatii.
 
Thanks Björn for finding the OD of the moth. That inspired Mr. Jobling.
Key:
cornelia
Eponym; dedicatee not yet identified (Salvadori 1878, Atti Reale Accad. Sci. Torino, 13, 319); perhaps after a relative of Count Salvadori, or an inference to the Cornelii, a patrician family of ancient Rome whose members included Cornelia, the first wife of Julius Caesar, and the virtuous Cornelia Africana Minor, second daughter of the general Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (OD per Björn Bergenholtz) (subsp. Leptocoma aspasia).
I once had an orange cat named Scipio because he was a great cat warrior.
 
In the 2015 thread about cornelia Salvidori and another thread Martin mentions Cornelia Craveri who married someone named Salvadori not Thomassa. The connection to her and T. Salvadori is that in 1865 Salvadori described Craveri Murrelet for her father and uncle. and that they (T. Salvadori and F. Craveri) were both naturalists active in the Turin area and Craveri gave skins to the museo di Torino. Here is a publication which mentions her as an adoptive daughter of F. Craveri:
https://books.google.com/books?id=q...Salvador&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=Cornelia+ .
 
helenae: Key
"Eponym; dedicatee not yet identified (Oates 1883, Ibis, 136); perhaps a relative of the donor Col. T. Lowndes, Political Resident at Bhamo, Kachin, Burma (syn. Polyplectron bicalcaratum)."
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/54933#page/174/mode/1up .

Lowndes, Thomas. Born 1835. Son of William Loftus Lowndes, QC, of London. He entered Radley in 1850 and left in 1851. He joined the Madras Army in 1854, and was serving in southern India (now Chennai) when the rebellion erupted in the North-west Provinces. He retired from the army with the rank of Major-General in 1887. He was appointed Inspector-General of Police in Rangoon, Burma, in 1875-86 and served in the Burmese War 1885. He married Bertha Crawley in 1866. He was a keen cricketer and member of the MCC. 71 Oxford Terrace He died in London on 15th February 1927 He had three children Maurice 4 Nov. 1869 and Brenda Caroline ? His wife Brenda died in 1870. Brenda daughter of General. Abraham Crawley, Esq., of Fitzroy House, Highgate. Thomas Lowndes was only in Bhamo "pol. agent, Bhamo, May, 1872, to Oct., 1873"
 
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I don't think we have to search further afield, not beyond the Author (Auctor) himself, regarding ...

helenae as in:
• the invalid "Polyplectron helenæ" OATES 1883 (here & Plate here), published in The Ibis, (No.2, of April) 1883 ... even if no dedication, nor any explanation.

It seems like the wife of Eugene William Oates (1845–1911), was Helena Mary Ann Oates (born Blythe), whom he´d just married in 1883 (i.e. 21 February 1883, in The Church of St James, Parish of Church Kirk, County of Lancashire, North West England), at least according to their Marriages recorded in the Register for 1880 - 1894, here alt. the MyHeritage-page, here (scroll down a bit, or search for either one of them) ... a wedding that came about, and took place, during Mr Oates two year leave* (from Burma) ...

Thereby, I assume, ... a suitable, romantic wedding gift, from a keen ornithologist. Why not?

Or?

Björn

________________________________________________________
*See Mr Oates Obituary here (... even if it, typical of the period, doesn't mention his wife).
--
 
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Helena Mary Ann Oates (born Blythe) I'm just not convinced. I kid. How could Mr. Jobling and I miss the so obvious wife of Oates?
 
mb1848 said:
.... How could Mr. Jobling and I miss the so obvious wife of Oates?
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Mark, that's for you (and James) to answer ... she wasn't (and isn't) that hard to find ;)

And, here´s the last pieces in the (this) helenae puzzle; the years (still missing in the Key) for Mrs Oates (born Helena Mary Ann born Blythe):

n. [nascita/born] 1865
m. [morte/died] 1903
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Or in detail:
Luogo di nascita [Place of Birth] Church, Lancashire, England
Data di nascita (gg/mm/aaaa) [Date of Birth] 16/9/1865
[...]
Data battesimo (gg/mm/aaaa) [Date of Baptism] 08/11/1865
[...]
Data di morte (gg/mm/aaaa) [Date of Death] 05/10/1903
...
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All according to this Italian Genealogy page (search for "Blythe") alt. here; wife, from 1883, to Eugene William Oates (who was born on Sicily, Italy, that's why they both ended up on an Italian Genealogy page, I assume) ...

To me it looks fairly trustworthy.

However; enjoy!

Björn
 
Key:
hectoris Gr. myth. Hector, Prince of Troy, son of King Priam, slain by Achilles and dragged thrice around the walls of Troy (syn. Lophornis ornatus).
OD: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/189040#page/241/mode/1up .
Richmond thinks this means B. hectoris is a new name for B. ornata ie O. ornatus Gould, I think Mulsant or the Verreaux brothers called this bird hectoris maybe only in mss? James is correct that this is for the prince of Troy.
Lesson: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/194632#page/339/mode/1up .
Gould: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/108334#page/22/mode/1up .
The male of the species has an ornament that looks like a helmet. Hector went out to fight Achilles wearing Achilles armor. He bids farewell to his wife before the battle and his baby boy cries at Achilles helmet so Hector takes his helmet off. Achilles helmet has the horse hair plume looks like this bird.
 
vana

Here's a quick longshot (from a non-Latin guy ;)) on ...

vana as in:
• Grey-banded Munia Lonchura vana HARTERT 1930 (here) as "Munia vana" ... no explanation, types collected by Enst Mayr, ...

Today's Key:
vana
Etymology undiscovered; perhaps a local Papuan name; "34. Munia vana spec. nov. ... Kofo, Anggi gidji Lake, 11.vi.1928. Typus! Beside the type there are three others, all three sexed "♂" which were bad skins, but are now made up quite nicely, all from the same place and date." (Hartert 1930, Novitates Zoologicae, 36, 42) (Lonchura).
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I haven't found any local Papuan name like "vana" (or similar) for any Munia (or any other similar species in Estrildidae), ... though (and this I have to admit) I haven't dug very deep into such a possibility.

But, what about; vana, vanus, vanum ... ?

If so from the phrase (as quoted above), that they "now" were "made up quite nicely" ... in a vain attempt to give them the proper look? Maybe Hartert hinted at his own vanity ... (that this work hopefully wasn't done in vain).

It's a suggestion, an idea, ...for what it is worth.

Björn

PS. If of no relevance, maybe the explanation is hidden somewhere else in Mayr's own report of the expedition itself (on the preceding pages). And, if relevant, possibly; like; in a futile way, in a vain attempt (by Hartert) to recreate the of the wonders of Nature, after Mayr's native hunters had "shot them to pieces" (p.21).
 
Not a bad long-shot, Björn, "from a non-Latin guy." It proves that we sometimes do not see the wood for the trees, becoming so preoccupied with supposed obscurities when the basic Latin of much nomenclature should be staring us in the face. Vana is such a case; "obviously" it should be a Papuan name, so why bother with the Latin dictionary!! It now leaps to the eye that Hartert was fond of coining specific names that reflected the state of the material he was working with.
Excellent work.
 

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