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Boissonneaua matthewsii (1 Viewer)

Taphrospilus

Taphrospilus

Well-known member
HWB alive states on matthewsii:

Andrew Matthews (1801-1841) English botanist, collector in Brazil, Peru and Chile 1830-1841, and Polynesia (Boissonneaua)

Here he is called Alexandre and his last name Mathews with only one t.

So therefore Andrew Matthews (1815-1887) or here might be a candidate. At least he showed some interest in ornithology.

Unfortunatelly the original text from Bourcier do not tell exactely to whom he dedicated. But maybe I missed some important information/fact.

And as well the father of Andrew Reverend Andrew Hughes Matthews (c.1782-1854) was a naturalist.
 
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Another one ...?

There seem to have been one Alexander Mathews (with one t) that collected extensively (plants, insects etc.) in Peru in the 1830's, till his death in 1841. It´s not rare that various Alexander's get to be called Alexandre's in French texts. Link about him (here)

Note: If he has anything to do with this Hummingbird I do not know.

PS. Compare with NHM (here)!?
 
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Thanks, Martin and Björn for these references - the ornithologists (including the original author) use Matthews and the botanists use Mathews. We can rule out the aged Revd. Andrew Matthews, who never left the UK and whose fame was mainly in entomology. Undoubtedly we are talking about Alexander Mathews the intrepid botanist "(who spelled his name with one t) died in 1841" (per Eupatoriums of Peru). He died in Peru (per Musée Botanique de Delessert). I shall double-check my reference to Polynesia, and amend HBWAlive Key accordingly.
 
Apparently not all botanist spelled Matthews with a single t, see link (here) and (here). He seem to have died in Peru, 24th of November 1841. Though I´m not sure of his connection to the Hummingbird, due to the fact that a certain Andrew Matthews also seem to have been collecting Naturalia, in the same countries, in the same decades …? Or are "they" the same person?

I guess the question is to find out if this man (or any of those men) supplied Monsieur Loddiges with specimens of Trochilidées.

PS. Good luck on finding that connection! I will unfortunatelly not have the time to search any further. He´s all yours!

Cheers
 
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Might be a case for 32.5. Spellings that must be corrected (incorrect original spellings) of International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.
 
In 1951, Zimmer [pdf] emended it to mathewsi, noting:
I have adopted an emended spelling for the specific name of this bird, as permitted by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. The type was collected by Andrew Mathews, whose name appears to have been consistently misspelled by most of the contemporary ornithologists who worked with his material, although the botanists (notably Hooker) managed to spell his name correctly, as it also appears on papers written by Mathews.
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However the current Code protects original spelling strictly, except if the occurrence of an inadvertent error can be proven using information from the original publication only. The spelling in the OP is consistently with a double t--the bird is named matthewsii, and said to have been brought back by a "M. Matthews". This appears to be wrong, but you cannot see it just by looking at the OP--you have to know it. Thus no emendation is allowed.
 
As you mentioned brought back (rapporté) I am wondering how he could bring back if he died in Chachapoya? Nevertheless I think as well it is Alexander and not Andrew to whom Bourcier dedicated the hummers name as other specimen in the article came from Chachapoya.
 
Note that, even if he published it, the name was not actually coined by Bourcier; it was a manuscript name by Loddiges: "TROCH. MATTHEWSII (Lodd. MSS. inéd.)" = Trochilus Matthewsii (Loddiges unpublished manuscript). (Unfortunately we don't know how many t's Loddiges did put in the name.)

Of course, the text does not say who brought the bird back. Andrew Mathews certainly did send specimens to Europe, and did publish in European journals.
Eg: https://archive.org/stream/magazineofnatura07loud/#page/633/mode/2up/search/mathews
At the end of the editor's comment (p.637): "We received the skin of the Caprimulgus through Mr. Hunneman, 9. Queen Street, Soho, who, we believe, is in professional communication with Mr. Mathews."
(Note how he indeed signed his own paper "Mathews", yet when on the next year an ornithologist replied, the latter seemingly could not avoid corrupting it into "Matthews": https://archive.org/stream/magazineofnatura08loud/#page/470/mode/2up...)

At this point, I'm rather unconvinced that there was ever an Alexander, distinct from Andrew.
 
The Eponym Dictionary of Birds claims:

Matthews's Panoplites Boissonneaua matthewsii Bourcier, 1847 [Alt. Chestnut-breasted Coronet]
Alexander Matthews" (d. 1841) was an English botanist who collected in Peru and Chile (1830-1841). He was asked by his friend George Loddiges (q.v.) to collect hummingbirds whilest on his botanical explorations. Bourcier (q.v.) described this species using the manuscripte name that Loddiges had suggested (Chestnut-breasted Coronet) but Gould's illustration used the veneculare eponym.
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From where the information came that Loddiges asked him to collect hummingbirds is unknown to me.
 
v.3 (1854-1857) - A monograph of the Trochilidæ, or family of humming-birds - Biodiversity Heritage Library :

...procured at Moyabamba, in the same country, by the late Mr. Mathews, graces the Loddigesian collection at Hackney.
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Is the birth 1801 a confirmed date? Where and when was he born exactly? I assume based on Edit History: Mathews, Andrew (1801-1841) on JSTOR

At least in plants we can find:
Mathewsia Hook. & Arn. v.3 (1833) - Botanical miscellany - Biodiversity Heritage Library (and that it is for him v.3 (1833) - Botanical miscellany - Biodiversity Heritage Library )
Tacsonia matthewsii Mast. v.13,pt.1 - Flora Brasiliensis, enumeratio plantarum in Brasilia hactenus detectarum - Biodiversity Heritage Library
(but I am pretty sure some more for him.
Peltobryon matthewsii Klotzsch. v.4 (1845) - The London journal of botany - Biodiversity Heritage Library


He is mentioned 1901 - Bulletin of miscellaneous information - Biodiversity Heritage Library and a letter from him Letter from Andrew Mathews to Sir William Jackson Hooker; from Lima; 18 Mar 1831; four page letter comprising three images; folio 108 on JSTOR


And v. 55 (1919-1920) - Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences - Biodiversity Heritage Library

Alexander Mathews, the well-known collector in Peru (who spelled his name with one t) died in 1841. It has been impossible to get information of any subsequent collector in Peru of this name and it is accordingly inferred that errors have here arisen in the copying of labels, and that these plants were in reality collected by by Alexander Mathews about 1835-1840.
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Apart from the question of the birth date I would adjust The Key to Scientific Names - Birds of the World to Andrew Mathew
 
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It is surprising that his death notices in various journals from his agent and supposed friend give his name as Alexander Matthews.

Three actual formal Peruvian birth records exist for Andres Mateus and his wife Tomasa Mollina or Mollenida in 1836 & 1838 in Chachapoya for their sons Andres and Ricardo and Samuel. His death record also exists..

Interestingly both records have been duplicated in the records of Milton Bryan, Bedford, England suggesting Mathews may have been from Milton Bryan but I can find no birth record. Although the Mathews of Northill are a very prominent family. Perhaps he was a bastard?

This account confirms he was Andrew Mathews and his age at death as 40 (ie born 1801) and that he was an "alien":

archive.org

The Garden Journal January-February 1964: Vol 14 Iss 1 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

The Garden Journal January-February 1964: Volume 14, Issue 1.Digitized from IA1513510-02.Previous issue: sim_garden-journal_1964_14_index.Next issue:...
archive.org

He is the ancestor of a huge lineage in Peru!
 
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​

"The following is a list of plants found at Pitcairn's Island in March, 1830, made by Mr. Andrew Matthews, late chief-clerk to the Horticultural Society, whom I engaged to go with me as botanist. "​

Extract of journal kept by Captain William Waldegrave of HMS Seringapatam
 
PScofield said:
This account confirms he was Andrew Mathews and his age at death as 40 (ie born 1801) and that he was an "alien":

archive.org

The Garden Journal January-February 1964: Vol 14 Iss 1 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

The Garden Journal January-February 1964: Volume 14, Issue 1.Digitized from IA1513510-02.Previous issue: sim_garden-journal_1964_14_index.Next issue:...
archive.org

He is the ancestor of a huge lineage in Peru!
Click to expand...

Very interesting article. Unfortunately I can't see all pages. Maybe birth can be found by looking for his brother Richard Mathews settled in Arequipa (mentioned on p. 9). There is still a chance than that he was born late in 1800.
 
Maybe birth can be found by looking for his brother Richard Mathews settled in Arequipa (mentioned on p. 9).
Click to expand...

This is partially true. An English-speaking merchant lived in Arequipa: James William Mathews (Diego Guillermo Matheus). He was part of a large expat community of merchants mostly English. He married in 1830 in Arequipa and was the progenitor of another vast family. Their oldest son was Ricardo.

Marriage record confirms that James William parents Edward (and mother Anna)and that he was a Liverpudlian.

1680684751699.png

However there is evidence from his eldest sons birth certificate (below) that Andrew was IRISH "Botanico, natural de Irlanda" see below!

1680682711797.png

I think there is good reason to believe this Andrew and James William were related. It could be that the parents moved from Ireland to Liverpool for economic reasons
 
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