"Burton's Hummingbird" (1 Viewer)

[Björn Bergenholtz]

burtoni
● in the extinct and doubtful taxon Sephanioides "burtoni" BOUCARD 1891 (here) as "Eustephanus burtoni" a k a "Burton's Hummingbird" (see link here)

I dedicate this magnificent new species, the forth of the Genus, to Mr. Walter Burton, of London, who had the kindness to dispose of it in my favour

Who this Walter Burton was? I haven´t got a clue!

I´m pretty sure he´s the same guy who wrote the article, with the (today somewhat coarse) title An Easy Way of Making One Hundred Pounds Sterling a Year [by collecting Birds, Mammals, etc.] in the same Journal (here).

Most likely he´s the "first rate taxonomist" that Bowdler Sharpe is writing about, here, p.317.

In any case I doubt he was "Henry James Burton" as have been claimed!?

Anyone know?

Björn

PS. Could Walter Burton possibly be the "Son" in the contemporary firm Henry James Burton & Son (of Wardour Street, London), taxidermists and natural history dealers? That would explain the mix-up.
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[Taphrospilus]

I think the answer is on page 324 of your Bowdler Sharpe link.

Burton (Walter).
Another son of Henry Burton.
See Bowyer Bower.

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Another one of Burton's bird!

burtoni
● in the invalid "A. n. [Acanthiza nana] burtoni" MATHEWS 1920 (here, in text, with reference to his own p.106, same BBOC volume , here*) [a syn. of his own "A. n. clelandi", (collected by Cleland, in the Bunya Mts, Southern Queensland, in 1919) which, in its turn, was, and is, synonymous to either Acanthiza n. nana VIGORS & HORSFIELD 1827 (1826) here, or A. n. modesta DE VIS 1905, here … ?]

*the reference to "p. 215" is simply where Mathews intended to insert this bird in his own List of the Birds of Australia 1913 (here)

However; the "OD" of 1920 includes no dedication, no mention of any Burton whatsoever, and thereby it´s hard to understand what the (to say the least) wilful and secretive Mr. Mathews was thinking (he´s responsible for several true oddities in the scientific nomenclature) … but if (!?) the year 1886 (some 35 years before this bird was described!?) has any relevance, in whatever way (!? as noted in today's HBW Alive Key):

burtoni
● Charles Burton (fl. 1896) British naturalist, collector, son of taxidermist Henry Burton (syn. Acanthiza nana).

… I assume this bird, if connected to either one of the this far mentioned Burtons, is most likely also commemorating Walter Burton, hence he was the one who accompanied Captain Bowyer-Bower (1862–1886)) on the collecting trip to the Kimberley Division in Western Australia in 1886. Not his brother Charles. Both were sons of Henry (James) Burton and, like their father, skilled taxidermists. See last link, in Post #1; pp. 323-324 (the Burtons) and 317 (Capt. Bowyer-Bower).

Or did they both maybe go to Australia? I don´t see where Charles fit in, in connection to this bird? Was he possibly the donor of any specimen to the British Museum, or?

I fear, unfortunately, that we here are looking on yet another eponym, coined by Mathews, that is totally unknown. Or?

Note that none of today's known subspecies of Yellow Thornbill Acanthiza nana occur in Western Australia!

Anyone know the source for the claim it´s commemorating Charles?

James?
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[Björn Bergenholtz]

Regarding the Acanthiza nana "burtoni" MATHEWS 1920
I still don´t understand ... :scribe: ... what either son of Henry Burton has to do with this bird, and certainly not with Charles as claimed by the HBW Alive Key:

burtoni
● Charles Burton (fl. 1896) British naturalist, collector, son of taxidermist Henry Burton (syn. Acanthiza nana).

Close to identical entry in the (as proven earlier, quite often erroneous) Eponym Dictionary of Birds 2014 (here). Note that this bird is not mentioned in Jobling's (The Helm) Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names 2010.

However; see LeCroy 2008, here, p. 163, with a reference onwards to Mathews's The birds of Australia, Vol. 9. (Parts 6–9) 1922.

Maybe Mathews there, on p.436, is telling us something of the commemoration? Who knows?

Anyone with access to the latter book?
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[l_raty]

I have no access to The birds of Australia, but:

Mathews 1920: "As Acanthiza clelandi and A. whitei are both preoccupied, the bird described by me as A. n. clelandi (ante p. 106) can be called A. n. burtoni, and A. l. whitei (p. 106) A. l. alberti."

clelandi: Prof. Sir John Burton Cleland (1878-1971)
whitei: Capt. Samuel Albert White (1870-1954)

The explanation seems pretty obvious to me...

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PS - BTW, this means that this particular alberti is most likely misinterpreted as well.

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Laurent, now we´re talking!

:t:

That explanation would make far more sense!
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[Björn Bergenholtz]

One out of two"Acanthiza lineata whitei" MATHEWS changed and turned into alberti.

And Laurent, I agree on the added PS (in Post No.5) regarding:

● the subspecies Acanthiza lineata alberti MATHEWS 1920 (here*, referring back to here)
= Capt. Samuel Albert White (1870–1954)

Nor I see the connection to Albert Stewart Meek (1871–1943) in this case.

Not to be confused with the closely related subspecies Acanthiza lineata whitei MATHEWS 1912 (here) no dedication, nor explanation, but apparently, supposedly commemorating the same man!

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*the name "A. l. alberti" [i.e. Acanthiza lineata alberti] appear on p.121, not "p.106" as noted by Zoonomen and Avibase, however (so maybe they are correct) the formal description itself is found on p.106 [but there as the preoccupied (by Mathews himself!) "Acanthiza lineata whitei"].

I guess Gregory Macalister Mathews himself had trouble keeping track of all the birds he named and described!
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[Taphrospilus]

Who this Walter Burton was? I haven´t got a clue!

I think even if not a bird Melomys burtoni (Ramsay, 1887) was named for this taxidermist as well.

in the EMU of year 1925 we can find on p. 69:

The first systematic collection of birds was made in the Derby district about 1885, by Thomas Henry Bowyer-Bower (son of Capt. Bowyer-Bower, England). He collected about 700 skins. Unfortunately, 200 were burnt by a bush fire. And, still more unfortunately, Bowyer-Bower was returning the following season to make good his loss, and to obtain additional note% when he contracted fever, and died at Port Darwin 23rd December,1886, at the early age of 24. Walter Burton, Wardour St., London, was Bowyer-Bower 's taxidermist, and tended him to the last. Dr. E. P. Ramsay, Australian Museum, Sydney, wrote a a series of articles on the Collection in the Proceedings of the Linnean Society (N.S.W.), Vols. I. and II.

 

[Taphrospilus]

burtoni
● in the extinct and doubtful taxon Sephanioides "burtoni" BOUCARD 1891 (here) as "Eustephanus burtoni" a k a "Burton's Hummingbird" (see link here)Who this Walter Burton was? I haven´t got a clue!

I´m pretty sure he´s the same guy who wrote the article, with the (today somewhat coarse) title An Easy Way of Making One Hundred Pounds Sterling a Year [by collecting Birds, Mammals, etc.] in the same Journal (here).

Most likely he´s the "first rate taxonomist" that Bowdler Sharpe is writing about, here, p.317.

In any case I doubt he was "Henry James Burton" as have been claimed!?

Anyone know?

Björn

PS. Could Walter Burton possibly be the "Son" in the contemporary firm Henry James Burton & Son (of Wardour Street, London), taxidermists and natural history dealers? That would explain the mix-up.
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Maybe just a try to bring him back to the table and we now get his life dates?

 

[PScofield]

Walter Burton 1854-1913
Birth 12 Sep 1854 Hampstead, London, England
Occupation Naturalist
Marriage 1889 Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England
Residence 1913 St Pancras, Middlesex, England
Death 15 Aug 1913 London, London, England

Father Henry James Burton (1814-1895)
Mother Anne Fletcher (1815-1906)
Spouse Emma Makins (1862-1933)

Henry James Burton established the "Naturalist and Taxidermy" business that was in Wardour Street West London.
The eldest son Henry James Burton jnr established a successful photography business in London.
The other son's John Robert, Charles, and (perhaps) Walter all emigrated to Australia. John Robert was a labourer but Charles became taxidermist at Museum Victoria. if Walter was in Australia he appears to have returned to London to take over the family business. John Robert and Charles died in Victoria.

Someone here is described as a first-rate taxidermist (not taxonomist) with Bowyer Bower - but who is it?

In the 1881 English Census Charles describes himself as a naturalist.

In the same reference, Charles presented 39 birds in spirit from S. Australia. I am still to be convinced Walter ever was in Australia and believe it is possible that several authors confused Charles and Walter. Either way, it makes not a jot of difference as Burton's Hummingbird is undoubtedly dedicated to Walter.

 

[The Velvet Drawing Room]

Your information and discussion, is very interesting. I write a blog about the art and heritage of taxidermy and I cover these subjects in the blog at The Art & Heritage of Victorian Taxidermy
Your comments have actually helped me with Captain Bowyer-Bower. Thank you.

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Hi 'Velvet', ...
and, as a "New member", welcome to BirdForum, and the Bird Name Etymology sub-forum!
(even if I don't understand exactly which one of us you were thanking)

Either way, nice blog page! Full of food for thought, and many nice pictures.

Keep it up!

Björn

PS. I'm pretty sure you will find quite a few other taxidermists, that you yet haven't written about, if you use the Search function/button (top right corner on the screen, search for "taxidermist", or whatever word/name you're looking for, in "This forum") ... and voilà, you'll end up with a long, long list of earlier posts dealing with various persons connected to Taxidermy.