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Masséna's Trogon and "his" lorikeet … in French (1 Viewer)

Björn Bergenholtz

(former alias "Calalp")
Sweden
I think there are little doubt that the following two birds:
● Slaty-tailed Trogon Trogon massena GOULD 1838 a k a "Massena Trogon "
● and the subspecies " Coconut Lorikeet" Trichoglossus haematodus massena BONAPARTE 1854 a k a "Massena's Lory" or "Massena's Lorikeet" (in aviaries)

… both commemorate the well-known French Aristocrat, both Prince & Duke as well as ornithologist; François Victor Masséna (1795–1863), who was titled either Prince d’Essling or Duc de Rivoli – owner of a large Private collection of Birds, especially of Hummingbirds.

The dedication of the Trogon is crystal clear (it´s in English), but the description of the lorikeet is in French (once again that tricky French, that I understand so little of!) and now I´m trying to figure out what, exactly what Masséna did to deserve such an honour!?

Can anyone of you guys out there, with better understanding of French, please explain?

This lorikeets was described by Bonaparte 1854 in: Tableau des Perroquets. Revue et Magasin de Zoologie Pure et Appliquée (Serie 2) 6: 145-158. (Excerpts attached)

I don´t think the type description itself (on page 157) tell us a thing (or?), but in the beginning of the same article, he is mentioned (on page 146) in the sentence:
"Mais venons à lʼarticle des Perrouquets de MM. Masséna et de Souancé, digne en tout des autres travaux que je viens dʼindiquer, et qui mʼintéresse plus particulièrement; et déclarons dʼabord que les descriptions des neuf espèces quʼil renferme sont tout excellentes, et que, quelques courtes quʼelles soient, ce qui est un mérite de plus, elles font immédiatement reconnaitre lʼobjet auquel elles se rapportent."
With only limited knowledge (close to none!) of French I hope that any of Bird Forums readers feel like translating that quote for me!? If so, please as accurate as possible, as I would like to quote it myself in Swedish. And don´t hesitate to remark on any errors that I might have done transcribing it.

Anyone feel up to it?
 

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"Mais venons à lʼarticle des Perroquets de MM. Masséna et de Souancé, digne en tout des autres travaux que je viens dʼindiquer, et qui mʼintéresse plus particulièrement; et déclarons dʼabord que les descriptions des neuf espèces quʼil renferme sont tout excellentes, et que, quelques courtes quʼelles soient, ce qui est un mérite de plus, elles font immédiatement reconnaitre lʼobjet auquel elles se rapportent."
"But let's turn to the article about Parrots by Messrs. Masséna and de Souancé, worthy in every respect of the other works that I just indicated, and which I'm particularly interested in; and let's first declare that the descriptions of the nine species are all excellent, and that, however short they may be, which is an additional quality, they make immediately recognize the object to which they relate."

In the text that follows, he considers the species in question, and gives comments about their classification--for two of them, saying that the species already have a name:
"C'est précisément leur clarté qui m'a fait immédiatement reconnaître dans l'Ara auritorques, Mass. ma Sittace primoli de Bolivie; par une coïncidence curieuse, et qui prouve la convenance du nom auritorques, ce Perroquet était resté sous ce même nom dans mes manuscrits pendant plusieurs années. Dans Conurus molinae, Mass. (espèce que Molina ne semble pas avoir indiquée, quoique du Chili), je reconnais le Conurus pyrrhurus, Reichenbach, ma Microsittace pyrrhura."
"It's precisely their clarity that made me immediately recognize in the Ara auritorques Mass. my Sittace primoli of Bolivia; by a curious coincidence, which proves the suitability of the name auritorques, this Parrot had remained under this same name in my manuscripts for several years. In Conurus molinae, Mass. (a species which Molina doesn't seem to have indicated, although from Chili), I recognize the Conurus pyrrhurus, Reichenbach, my Microsittace pyrrhura."

It may well be that he then dedicated a species to Masséna in a way of "compensation" for having dismissed some of his names. But we can only guess, there is no clear intent stated in the text.

(Incidentally, Bonaparte's Sittace primoli is not valid either, being itself also a junior synonym, of Ara auricollis Cassin, 1853. And Pyrrhura molinae (Masséna & Souancé) is nowadays considered a valid name.)
 
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Thanks Laurent!

Your´e more than kind!

Yet another good explanation/translation, yet another typo discovered, and yet another Bird solved.

This surely makes it possible for me to write something "clever" of how this "Perroquet" became "Masséna's".

Excellent!

massena ... over and out!
 
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