Carpodectes hopkei von Berlepsch, 1897 (1 Viewer)

[Taphrospilus]

Just a start as I know nothing about Gustav Hopke mention in OD Beschreibung vier neuer Vogelarten aus West-Columbien . At least he lived in 1897 as Berlepsch wrote:

Diesen prächtigen neuen Vogel benenne ich nach seinem Entdecker, Herrn G. Hopke den ich dadurch zu weiteren ornithologischen Forschungen anzuregen hoffe.

The Eponym Dictionary of Birds claims:

Hopke's Cotinga Carpodectes hopkei Berlepsch, 1897 [Alt. Black-tipped Cotinga] Gustav Hopke (d.c.1902) was a German field collector who specialised in South American mammals. He collected mostly in Paraguay and Chile (c.1897), and in Colombia where the cotinga occurs. Berlepsch refers (1902) to 'the late' Mr Gustav Hopke.

Not sure about the Berlepsch 1902 source but here he is in fact called late Gustav Hopke (but 1911).

I found as well:

Gustav Hopke was engaged in bird collecting around Puerto Montt , Llanquihue , in the latter half of 1895. The bulk of his collection went to the late Count Berlepsch , but a set was acquired by the Vienna Museum .

Maybe anyone else have more information about his life dates? OK here already 1903 named late by William Robert Ogilvie-Grant .

He sent as well eggs of Leucophaeus scoresbii .

 

[PScofield]

This is a immigration record for Gustav residence in Chile showing birth about 1869. P

 

[Taphrospilus]

Sure a 27 year old man in 1896 could fit to him. At least for me no chance to read where he came from nor what his profession was.

 

[l_raty]

I read where he came from as "Puertomont, Chili" -- which will presumably be Puerto Montt, Chile.
Beruf: "Naturforscher".
Going to: "Colon, Columbie" = Colón, now in Panama ?

 

[mb1848]

Hellmayr Birds of Chile.
Gustav Hopke was engaged in bird collecting around Puerto
Montt, Llanquihue, in the latter half of 1895. The bulk of his
collection went to the late Count Berlepsch, but a set was acquired
by the Vienna Museum.

 

[Taphrospilus]

Going to: "Colon, Columbie" = Colón, now in Panama ?

There have been epoches where Panama was part of Colombia. See United States of Colombia . Might explain you question mark.

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Sorry Martin, but I haven't got a clue on the true identity of Herr/Mr Hopke (even if he´s mentioned twice in my MS, though only briefly, in context, without details, simply as he's the 'discoverer'/collector, of the Types of some South American birds [in my MS; today's Dagua Thrush Turdus daguae, in late 1896, and the Lesser/Coopmans's/Narino Elaenia Elaenia brachyptera in, March 1897, both collected in Colombia].

However, maybe the following could be of some help, possibly as a clue [of what might be his residence, at the time, alt. possibly even his Birth Place (alt. Parent's home), in Germay/Europe]. In the Tring Museum correspondence there's one single letter, in German, from Gustav Hopke, sent; "... from Ziltendorf bei Frankfurt a [sic] Oder, Germany 3 Aug 1896", incl. "a list of specimens with prices" ... (here).

Which would be shortly, just a couple of months, before he embarked for South America onboard the German Steamer SS Holsatia, as noted in the Verzeichniss der Personen welche zur Auswanderung nach Westindien via Hàvre [which I assume means something like 'Directory/Register/List of people emigrating to the West Indies via (Le) Havre'], signed 2 October 1896 (in Paul's post #2).

I assume that the Captain who (or whomever) wrote that certain Verzeichniss ... wasn't too careful about the column headings; Wohnort (Residence) etc., etc.., as the three guys listed seemingly came from very different places; "Berlin Alemange" (Germany), "Puertomont Chili"(Chile) and "Caracas Venezuela", or is this possibly the full itinerary/route, for all three ... !?

Either way, the letter above ought to have been sent from Ziltendorf bei Frankfurt an der Oder, (Landkreis Oder-Spree), very close to the Polish border), here, thus the close adjacent (somewhat larger) town is not to be confused with the far more well-known, far larger, Frankfurt (am Main).

At least there seems to have been a couple of Hopkes there, in Ziltendorf, earlier (simply trusting this page/site).

The same Herr Hopke is also mentioned/listed, as in (or from) the same "Ziltendorf bei Frankfurt Oder, 25.07.1896", in Briefnachlass - Naturhistorisches Museum (in Wien/ (Vienna, here, or/alt. here), having sent several letters to Franz Steindacher, the Director of the same Museum, after having equally sent him, for example, some; "Vogelbälge, Tierfelle, Schädel, Skelette" (Bird skins, animal skins, skulls, skeletons), from various locations in South America; "Ecuador", "Süd-Chile", "Kolumbien" ...

Also note: "Brief Aufforderung zur Zahlung vor baldiger Abreise" [Google Translate: Letter requesting payment before departure], sent 22.09.1896 ... which make me think that the tiny village Ziltendorf would, or could, be a good starting point in/if trying to trace him [though, also see pp. 280-281 (of 658), and note that he is also listed as in/from; Dresden, or Berlin, on the very same page].

For whatever it's worth.

Good luck finding him, in or around Ziltendorf. Or from wherever he originated ...

Björn

 

[PScofield]

This is where to look

https://www.archion.de/en/browse/?n...n/browse/?no_cache=1&path=36694-729985-730163

[/URL]

Well beyond my language skills

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

That German Archive site is far, far beyond my skills as well ...

However, regarding Hopke's alleged Birth year (maybe I'm a bit stupid), but I cannot see the year 1869 anywhere, as would be expected by Paul's post #2 (only, the other way around, year "1896"), or is this simply Math, from Alter (age) ... and "27" (or whatever those hard-to-read scribbles tell us)?

Either way, also note that there's quite a lot told in the very introduction of the piece where "his" bird is described in 1897 (link in Martin's post #1):

Beschreibung vier neuer Vogelarten aus West-Columbien.
Von Hans Graf [Count] von Berlepsch.

Herr G u s t a v H o p k e, früher in Chile als Sammler thätig, unternahm Ende vorigen Jahres eine Forschungs-Expedition nach West- und Süd-Columbien. Vor einigen Wochen erhielt das Museum Hans von Berlepsch die erste Sendung dieses fleissigen Sammlers, welche hauptsächlich bei S. José am Rio Dagua, nicht weit von Buenaventura in West-Columbien und bei S. Pablo in S. W. Columbien zusammengebracht worden ist. Da die ornithologische Fauna West-Columbiens bisher noch fast völlig unbekannt gewesen ist, so kann es nicht überraschen, dass die Hopke'sche Sammlung eine Anzahl neuer Arten enthält, und will ich nicht zögern, die interessanteren Entdeckungen dem ornithologischen Publikum zur Kenntnis zu bringen.

Herr Hopke ist nicht Ornithologe von Fach und besitzt keine Uebung im Sammeln. Es ist daher mit Sicherheit anzunehmen, dass ihm eine grössere Zahl für die Wissenschaft neuer Arten entgangen ist, und es ist dringend zu wünschen, dass er selbst oder ein geübter Sammler diese interessanten Gegenden nochmals gründlich durchforscht. Herr Hopke hat sich leider nur kurze Zeit in West-Columbien aufgehalten und sammelt gegenwärtig in der Umgegend von Mocoa in Südost-Columbien.

Die interessanteste Entdeckung des Herrn Hopke ist zweifellos ein prächtiger weisser Cotingide, von dem es für mich noch nicht sicher feststellt, ob er besser dem Genus Carpodectes oder dem Genus Xipholena zuzurechnen ist. Sehr interessant ist auch ein durch auffallende Färbung charakterisierter Papagei: eine Pionopsitta, die der P. haematotis von Central-Amerika am nächsten verwandt ist. Ganz überraschend erscheint in diesem Gebiete ein neuer Myiadestes, der seinen nächsten Verwandten in der in Sammlungen noch sehr seltenen M. leucotis Tsch. aus C. Peru findet. Weniger ins Auge springend sind die Unterscheidungs merkmale einer neuen Drossel, die der centralanierikanischen Turdus tristis am nächsten steht.

Ich gebe im Folgenden kurze Beschreibungen dieser vier neuen Arten und gedenke später bei Bearbeitung der Hopke'schen Ausbeute nochmals auf dieselben zurückzukommen.

1. Carpodectes hopkei Berl. sp. nov

[...]

Google Translate (unaltered, only italics added):

Description of Four new species of birds from West Columbia.
By Hans Graf von Berlepsch.

Mr. G u s t a v H o p k e, formerly a collector in Chile, undertook a research expedition to West and South Columbia at the end of last year. A few weeks ago the Museum Hans von Berlepsch received the first shipment from this diligent collector, which was mainly brought together at S. José on the Rio Dagua, not far from Buenaventura in West Columbia and at S. Pablo in S. W. Columbia. Since the ornithological fauna of West Columbia has hitherto been almost completely unknown, it is not surprising that the Hopke collection contains a number of new species, and I will not hesitate to bring the more interesting discoveries to the attention of the ornithological public.

Mr. Hopke is not an ornithologist by trade and has no practice in collecting. It can therefore be assumed with certainty that he has missed a larger number for the science of new species, and it is urgently to be hoped that he himself or an experienced collector thoroughly explores these interesting areas again. Unfortunately, Mr. Hopke has only been in West Columbia for a short time and is currently collecting in the Mocoa area in Southeast Columbia.

The most interesting discovery of Herr Hopke is undoubtedly a splendid white cotingid, of which I cannot yet be sure whether it belongs to the genus Carpodectes or the genus Xipholena. A parrot that is characterized by its striking color is also very interesting: a Pionopsitta, which is most closely related to the P. haematotis of Central America. Quite surprisingly, a new Myiadestes appears in this area, which is its closest relative in the M. leucotis Tsch. from C. Peru finds. The distinguishing features of a new thrush, which is closest to the Central American Turdus tristis, are less obvious. In the following I give brief descriptions of these four new species and I intend to come back to them again later when processing Hopke's yield.

1. Carpodectes hopkei Berl. sp. nov [...]

[...]

Even if clearly "not an ornithologist by trade", with "no practice in collecting" he somehow, and somewhat sensationally, discovered quite a few new birds .

In any case, and thereby, there's seems to be no reason to look for him in any Schools of Taxidermy, or in Museum contexts (as of a trainee/apprentice possibility), at least not prior to his successful trip to South America.

Well, that's it (on my part). I cannot reach any further on Gustav Hopke an "his" bird.

Good luck finding him & Stay safe!

/B

PS. Apparently there's a certain "Ernst Wilhelm Gustav Hopke" listed (on/in Ancestry) as being born in "Pomerania, Germany" in the "Parish Register Transcripts, 1544-1883".

Could be him? Or not.

--

 

[Taphrospilus]

PS. Apparently there's a certain "Ernst Wilhelm Gustav Hopke" listed (on/in Ancestry) as being born in "Pomerania, Germany" in the "Parish Register Transcripts, 1544-1883".

Could be him? Or not.

--

Wow, what an age that can almost be considered biblical.

As we can find...

COLOMBIA: Nariño (type locality, San Pablo; holotype, female, skin and skull, BMNH 98.9.5.2, collected 29 March 1897 by Gustav Hopke)

...I doubt it is him.

 

[PScofield]

Germany, Select Births and Baptisms, 1558-1898

Name	Ernst Wilhelm Gustav Hopke
Birth	6 Feb 1870
Baptism	20. Feb 1870 (20 Feb 1870) St Gertrud,Stettin Stadt, Pommern, Prussia

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Wow, what an age that can almost be considered biblical.

As we can find...


...I doubt it is him.

Martin (you might read what I wrote a bit more careful), I most certainly didn't suggest that the Life of any "Ernst Wilhelm Gustav Hopke" went on between "1544-1883" (I haven't lost it completely). That a Parish Register Transcript can cover a time frame far longer than what we'd expect from any human is far less "biblical".

A collector active in Colombia in the late 1890's could very well be found in such a transcript (i.e. read: his Birth), ... or in similar Archives/Records (just as Paul now have shown us).

Great work, Paul!

That is, if the guy you've found truly is/was "our guy"; from (alt. with the address, in 1896) "Ziltendorf bei Frankfurt" (an der Oder), of course.

Björn