Icterus parisorum Bonaparte, 1838 (1 Viewer)

[Taphrospilus]

Icterus parisorum Bonaparte, 1838 here

In the intro bonaparte wrote:

Through the kindness of the Messrs. Paris I have been allowed to examine a small collection from that country, a list of which, with descriptions, of new or interesting species, I shall subjoin;

The Eponym Dictionary of Birds claims:

Scott's Oriole Icterus parisorum Bonaparte, 1838 The Paris brothers were French natural history dealers who were on business in Mexico (1837) and organised and financed the collection and transport to France of a large number of natural history specimens. Bonaparte (q.v.) gave no indication of their names and some commentators cast doubt about their surname, as Bonaparte may have thought of them simply as 'The Paris-based Brothers', as that is where their main place of business was.

The Key to Scientific Names

“I have much pleasure in naming this bird after the brothers Paris, who, notwithstanding the arduous nature of their professional engagements in Mexico, allowed no opportunity of furthering the interests of science to pass unimproved. I quite agree with the opinion, that in a country whose commercial transactions are so extensive as they are in this, the captain of a trading-vessel bringing home “a ‘curious bird’, which may prove to be new, has no claim to have his name immortalized;” but the same rule I would not apply to the Roman state, where a person crossing the sea is a rare occurrence” (Bonaparte 1838) (Icterus).

Who they are might not easy to solve. So I doubt the Paris based brothers theory.

 

[mb1848]

Om page 112 of PZS of above Bonaparte says "
This beautiful bird, reckoned until now very rare, and thought to

be peculiar to the Rocky Mountains, in districts far removed from

civilization, is very common in the city of Mexico, where according

to Mr. Paris it takes the place of our common sparrow..."
One of the brothers spent time in Mexico City.

 

[PScofield]

I am not convinced they were French or even were ever in France. The surname Paris is a very common name in Mexico. Can anyone find a reference to them being French?

 

[mb1848]

In a review of Coue's Checklist the reviewer states:"
Icterus parisorum (p. 64) was thus named by Bonaparte
(as he himself states, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 110) after "the
brothers Paris. ^' Dr. Coues's emendation into "parisiorum " !
and his derivation (from the Parisians !) are consequently
incorrect. "

 

[mb1848]

Rousseau ... thought of Liege, a town where he could easily be in touch
with all the countries of Europe while remaining close to France.
Thanks to the brothers Paris, leading bankers who were prepared to
protect the philosophers, he managed to get a recommendation to
some agents of the prince-bishop of Liege, and obtained authorisation
to start a fortnightly newspaper in the town. He had to flee the place
after four years, in 1759, after protests from the clergy.. Perhaps parisorum is named not for people but a financial organization?

 

[mb1848]

Bonaparte quotes in the OD 'the captain of a trading-vessel bringing home “a ‘curious bird’, which may prove to be new, has no claim to have his name immortalized;” is from 1836 Swainson's On the natural history and classification of Birds.
1 - On the Natural History and classification of Birds : - Biodiversity Heritage Library .

 

[mb1848]

The species name emmended by Coues to parisiorum here:
The Coues check list of North American birds. - Biodiversity Heritage Library .
This is not in the key.
The Key to Scientific Names - Birds of the World .