Anna's (Palau) Bush-Warbler
After having had a look at some of the birds connected to Mr. Kubary (in the recent thread
Kubary's three (or four) birds (
here), let's return to the old and lengthy search for the unknown Anna, in the Palau Bush-Warbler (
Cettia)
Horornis annae HARTLAUB & FINSCH 1868 (OD in #221), from the very first two lists of names (in this thread), out of James's
Key, with either the phrase;
Dedication not given alt.
Etymology undiscovered (see post #1, alt./or #19) ...
As I (still) haven't found any trace of the/a possible Finsch-Wychodil child by the name Anna (see posts #221,223-224), I simply changed direction, in trying to find the missing dedicatee, and in doing so I happened to find a separate Richmond Card (I´ve never seen such a card before!) – a special card dealing only with "Etymology" ... and it is regarding this particular
annae bird!
That (single, odd) Richmond Card says (if I read those scribbled notes properly):
Probably named for Mrs. Anna (Yeliot) Kubary, wife of Johann Stanislaus Kubary.
She married Kubary when she was 14 yrs. old, + after his death married a native. See Nat. Geogr. Mag., XL, no.6, Dec., 1921, pp.599-603.
Her father was Alec Yeliot, Baltimore.
[
here]
First, I hope we can all agree on that Anna's husband, the "Johann Stanislaus Kubary" [on the Richmond Card alt. in German texts (or/and a k a "John", in some English dittos)] is equal of the Polish collector Jan Stanisław Kubary (1846–1896), as in today's
Key (quote below):
annae
[...]
● Female eponym; dedicatee not yet identified (Hartlaub & Finsch 1868, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 5, pl. 2); perhaps after a relative of Hartlaub or Finsch, or of the magnate Godeffroy, or, doubtfully, after Anna Kubary née Yelliott (d. 1937) daughter of US missionary on Ponapé and wife of Polish collector Jan Kubary (Michael Grayson in litt.) (Horornis).
Though I do see the reason for the
Key's phrase; "or, doubtfully, ..."
versus Richmond's more positive choice of word "Probably ...".
To me it looks like Anna Kubary hardly could be the dedicatee, in spite of (contrary to) any, (whatever) likelihood, presented by "Michael Grayson
in litt" (mentioned in the
Key's quote above), or on the Richmond card.
The fascinating piece (well worth the read) referred to on the Richmond card, regarding "Mrs. Anna", a k a "Mrs. Kubary" is found in
The National geographic Magazine, from 1921 (
here), pp.599-603; Heading "MEETING THE WIDOW OF A FAMOUS SCIENTIST" (though it does start a bit prior to that). From this piece [it's the same paper pointed at by Mark and Martin (post #3 and #4) in the Kubary thread], dated "Spring of 1921" (on p.590) and from the part; "now she was 56... " we can tell that this Anna was born in about 1865. And, according to herself; "... 14 years old when I married Mr. Kubary."
If so, she was only a child when Hartlaub and Finsch described (and coined the name) "
Psamathia annæ", in 1868, probably all unknown to her future husband, Mr Kubary who, at that point, was still far, far away ... from both Pulau/Palau/Ponapé/Pohnpei and any other Pacific Islands (as I understand it he didn't leave Europe until 1869).
I would even dare to say (if all of the above is correct, of course) that she undoubtedly
isn't the one commemorated in this Bush-Warbler.
Anyone who disagree?
Björn
PS. James, either way, even if she's commemorated or not (in any bird?) compare the entry for
kubaryi where you have Mrs Anna Kubary "née Yelliott" as "(fl. 1896) " versus "(d. 1937)" in the entry for
annae. Shouldn't it be the same in both entries? It's apparently the same lady.
PPS. Regarding Mrs Kubary's Birth year I assume it will be very hard to find, as she was the daughter of an American missionary and his Micronesian wife, but who knows, it might be "out there", somewhere ... ? Also note the different versions of Anna's alleged Maiden name; "Yeliot" vs "Yelliott "...
!? The
National Geograpic uses "Yeliot" (single ending-t).
Also see
here, where her Father (again) was mentioned as "Alec Yeliot". Possibly a clue to find her Birth year? Either way; I couldn't find him at all, at least not in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Anyone luckier?
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