Lönnberg 1921, shouldn't it be 1920 ... ?!? (1 Viewer)

[Björn Bergenholtz]

This is a tricky text to formulate (when not fluent in English, and I do want to get it all right), as I´m about to deal with both particular dating in Taxonomy and the tricky ICZN Code, however, I will give it a try ...

In the work The Natural History of Juan Fernandez and Easter Island, Edited by Dr. Carl Skottsberg, Vol. III Zoology (with 20 Plates) [here], dated "Uppsala 1921—1940" [publisher: Almqvist & Wiksells boktryckeri A.-B., Sweden], the following four bird taxa are described as new (all by the Swedish ornithologist Prof. Einar Lönnberg), and this Work is usually considered, often quoted in various books, lists and papers, as their OD (most often/at least for the two, of four, still valid):

1. "Cinclodes oustaleti baeckstroemii" n. subsp.", pp.4–6
2. "Pterodroma (Aestrelata) cooki masafueræ n. sp." [sic], pp.14–15
3. "Procelsterna caerulea skottsbergii n. subsp.", pp. 20–21
4. "Pterodroma (Aestrelata) heraldica paschae n. subsp.", pp.23–24

And this far all's well, and as such I can understand why IOC and HBW, and many other taxonomy lists, have them as [my blue/bold]:

1. Cinclodes oustaleti baeckstroemii Lönnberg, 1921
2. Either considered a synonym of Pterodroma longirostris (Stejneger 1893), alt. a debated ssp. P. leucoptera/longirostris masafuerae Lönnberg, 1921
3. Anous albivitta skottsbergii (Lönnberg, 1921)
4. Today all invalid; syn. of the montopic Pterodroma heraldica (Salvin, 1888)

Though, note that the (four) volumes of The Natural History of Juan Fernandez and Easter Island were printed "between 1920—1956", which might make one suspect that the third Part covering Zoology (and the birds above), would have been printed in the later part of this time frame. But nope, apparently not!?

But ... also note that Lönnberg published an account, in Swedish, titled Fåglarne på »Robinson Crusoes ö« [which translated, into English, would be: The Birds on »Robinson Crusoe's Island«], in the Swedish Journal Fauna och Flora 1920 (No.4): pp.145–157 [here], where all of those birds were mentioned (also with brief descriptions): "Cinclodes oustaleti baeckstroemi" [sic] (on p.147), "Pt. masafueræ" (on p.154), "P. cærulea skottsbergii" (on p. 157) as well as "Pterodroma heraldica paschæ" (also on p.157). And note that this account was published in Fauna och Flora No.4 (out of 6, this year), all dated 1920. In this certain paper we also find the following phrase (on p.146):

"Nu är emellertid den vetenskapliga bearbetningen i full gång. och de första produkterna af densamma föreligga redan i tryck, bl. a. »The Birds of the Juan Fernandez Islands» och »Notes on Birds from Easter Island». ... (By EINAR LÖNNBERG)"

... which in English would be something like:

"However, now is the scientific adaptation/arrangement in full swing, and the first produce of the same are already available in print, among others »The Birds of the Juan Fernandez Islands» och »Notes on Birds from Easter Island». ... (By EINAR LÖNNBERG)"

The reference (1) reads:

"Ingående som 1 & 2 i verket »The Natural History of Juan Fernandez and Easter Island». Edited by Dr. CARL SKOTTSBERG. Vol. III. Klicheerna i denna uppsats ha med Professor Skottsbergs vänliga tillmötesgående fått lånas ur detta verk."

... which would translate into something like:

Included as 1 & 2 in the Work »The Natural History of Juan Fernandez and Easter Island». Edited by Dr. CARL SKOTTSBERG. Vol. III. The clichés in this article has, by the obliging kindness of Professor Skottsberg, been borrowed from this Work.

Disclaimer: It's a bit tricky to tell (and certainly to translate/rephrase), if the reference/foot-note talks about "Klicheerna"(clichés) as in the reuse of the full Printing block/s (page/s) or only the use of its Photos. If anyone of my fellow countrymen (or anyone else fluent in both Swedish and English) feel like making a better translation of the quotes above, please do so.

Either way, all in all, doesn't this tell us that Lönnberg's texts must have been printed separately (shortly) prior to both the paper in Flora och Fauna 15 (4), 1920, and before they were included in Skottsberg's major work (compilation).

Or maybe Lönnberg's text in Flora och Fauna (1920) ought to be considered the very first in print? Though I doubt it ...

Other indications that Lönnberg's two papers truly was "out there" in 1920, are that they were reviewed in The Auk 37 (No.4) of October 1920, pp.615-616 (here alt. here), see the footnote; "Extract from The Natural History of Juan Fernandez and Easter Island", as well as listed among the "Dem Herausgeber zugesandte Schriften" (Writings sent to the editor), in Journal für Ornithologie 68 (on p.405), from "Juli/Oktober 1920": "(Abdruck aus: ..." (here alt. here), and in Ornithologische Motatsberichte 28, No. 11/12 ("November/Dezember 1920"), here.

... all clearly (at least to me) indicating that Lönnberg's two articles/papers (»The Birds of the Juan Fernandez Islands» and »Notes on Birds from Easter Island»), were printed separately (alt. together), prior to being included/collected/compiled in the major work The Natural History of Juan Fernandez and Easter Island. To me this looks like Lönnbergs two papers (No. 1 & 2, in vol III, Part I) truly were printed, and published, in 1920.

Either way, and thereby; shouldn't those taxa be quoted as "Lönnberg, 1920"?

And (if Flora and Fauna turns out to be the very first one in print) we might also consider the spelling baeckstroemi (with single -i) ... ?

With hope that you all have been able to understand my somewhat awkward English.

Cheers!

Björn


PS. Lönnberg's paper above, not to be confused with the Paper:
The Birds of the Juan Fernandez Islands, Chile. ICBP Study Report No. 16.
Cambridge: International Council for Bird. Preservation,
by M. de L. Brooke (1987).
--

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

An additional indication

Another reference, clearly pointing at the fact that Lönnberg's two papers were published in 1920 (and not in 1921); both were also found among the "Recently published Ornithological Works", reviewed in The Ibis (Eleventh Series, vol. III, No.1), pp. 161-162, here, from January 1921: "Number 1, issued January 1st." (here).

/B

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Here's another Swedish reference, published prior to the publication of vol. III ("1921—1940"), way before Skottsberg's compilation could have been put together.

Gyldenstolpe, N. 1926. Types of Birds in the Royal Natural History Museum in Stockholm. Arkiv för Zoologi, band 19A, N 1 [here]:

"Cinclodes oustaleti baeckstroemii LÖNNBERG ... 1920" (p.72)
[...]
"Procelsterna caerulea skottsbergii LÖNNBERG ... 1920" (p.103)

Equally in favour of "1920".

/B