Colcloughia Mathews, 1917, Micropus colcloughi Mathews, 1915 & Drymodes superciliaris colcloughi Mathews, 1914 (1 Viewer)

[Taphrospilus]

Colcloughia Mathews, 1914 OD here
Micropus colcloughi Mathews, 1915 OD here
Drymodes superciliaris colcloughi Mathews, 1914 OD here

The Eponym Dictionary of Birds claims:

Buttonquail genus Colcloughia Mathews, 1917 NCR [Now in Turnix]
Fork-tailed Swift Micropus colcloughi Mathews, 1915 NCR [JS Apus pacificus]
Northern Scrub Robin ssp. Drymodes superciliaris colcloughi Mathews, 1914
Collared Kingfisher ssp. Todiramphus chloris colcloughi Mathews, 1916
Michael Joseph Colclough (b.1875) was an Australian collector who was taxidermist at the Queensland Museum, Brisbane (1915). He collected the holotype of the scrub robin (1910).

The Key to Scientific Names
colcloughi

Michael Joseph Colclough (b. 1875) Australian taxidermist, collector (syn. Apus pacificus, subsp. Drymodes superciliaris, subsp. Todiramphus chloris).

Colcloughia

(Turnicidae; syn. Turnix † Black-breasted Buttonquail T. melanogaster) Michael Joseph Colclough (b. 1875) Australian taxidermist, collector; "p. 10. COLCLOUGHIA, gen. nov. Type, Hemipodius melanogaster Gould." (Mathews 1914); "Colcloughia Mathews, Austral Av. Rec. vol. ii. p. 112, 1914. Type (by original designation): Hemipodius melanogaster Gould." (Mathews, 1927, Syst.Av. Austral., I, p. 23).

Aove in accordance with here. Nevertheless still not clear when he died.

 

[PScofield]

Michael Joseph Garrett Colclough

Michael Garrett Colclough (1878-1968) [edit]

Birth
09 Mar 1878 Queensland, Australia
Death
June 5 1968 Queensland, Australia

 

[Melanie]

So the birthyear 1875 is not correct.

 

[PScofield]

1875 is not correct but some have confused him with his nephew Michael Joseph Colclough (1903-1966) who was also a taxidermist but clearly too young to be Mathews honouree.

 

[l_raty]

Here and here, this Colclough (same birth date) is given as 'Michael Garrett', with his birth record given as the source. Was there really a 'Joseph' in his name ?

Here as 'Michael Joseph' (with his nephew given as 'Joseph Michael'). But then, here he was 'Michael John'.
(This doesn't seem to have been a very peaceful family...)

 

[PScofield]

Yes as per vital records I conclude, as Laurent, suggests that the addition of "Joseph" is due to confusion between the uncle and the nephew and have edited post #2 accordingly.

Colclough sounds "charming"

Colclough and Longman [director of the QM] did not get on well — and this may have been partly political. Mrs Longman was a member of the party in opposition while Colclough supported the Labour government. Between October 1917 and June 1919 Colclough was seconded to the University's zoology department to work on ticks. In 1931 Longman, basing his action on the need to reduce running costs, abolished his position. Colclough was retrenched but subsequently was reinstated in November 1933. Longman wrote that although Colclough was given the maximum of consideration his lack of interest in his work, his cantankerous attitude generally, and his want of energy prevented him from being the useful officer that a taxidermist should be. Indeed he was not a useful officer. He had withdrawn to a seat between the bird cabinets in the basement. In April 1945, soon after he was appointed as an assistant, Ivor Filmer recorded an occasion on which Colclough was to make a skin— but swore volubly at having to get off his seat between the bird cabinets to do it Colclough was absolutely unrelenting in his attitude — he just would not work for Longman. He said 'the only good thing Longman did was that he never begat any other Longmans. In Filmer's understatement 'the two were incompatible".

Even in this official history, his initials are confused - in one place he is MJ (pg338) and on another, he is WM (pg 337)

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

1875 is not correct but some have confused him with his nephew Michael Joseph Colclough (1903-1966) who was also a taxidermist but clearly too young to be Mathews honouree.

If so, "some" seems to be Mr Mathews himself ...

Gregory M. Mathews. 1925. Birds of Australia – Bibliography of the Birds of Australia / Book used in the preparation of this Work with a few Bibliographical details of Authors and Collectors. H. F. & G. Witherby. London. [Supplement 5, page 27]:

/B

 

[PScofield]

5 words out of 7 i.e. "Colclough, Michael Joseph Born - March 9th 1875" is about as good as you get with Mathews in both fact and taxonomy.