Ouups!
That's a surprise!
I've had Mr Wells ad "his" three (Grenadian) birds in my 'pipe-line' for quite a while, simply to be posted whenever time allows ... thereby (as Martin opened up this topic and question) I assume today might be just the right time to post all of it, (or most) of what I've got have in my files (incl. links to the ODs, even if already shown, in #1) ...
Thus; below, some additional info (and possibly also confusing parts
, or/alt. even contradictory claim/s!), all found along the way, trying to trace this somewhat obscure guy, commemorated in ...
wellsi as in:
• Grenada Dove
Leptotila wellsi LAWRENCE 1884 (
here), as "
Engyptila wellsi" [my
blue bold]:
I have named it in compliment to James G. Wells, Esq., of Grenada, by whom it was obtained.
• the invalid
* (Copper-rumped) Hummingbird "
Saucerottia wells I" [
sic] BOUCARD 1893 (
here):
It was sent to me by Mr. Wells, from Grenada (West Indies), and I have the pleasure to dedicate it to him.
• and the invalid
** Bananaquit "
Certhiola wellsi" CORY 1889 (
here, p.219):
... J. Grant Wells [... + Footnote:] To J. Grant Wells, of Grenada, West Indies.
... which ought to lead us to a certain;
J. [
James or/alt. John (
?)]
Grant Wells (
1849–
1904), local ornithologist (and collector), naturalised citizen on Grenada, in the West Indies/Caribbean (in all, alt. most of, his life).
Also note the following quote, by Austin H. Clark (in 1906) regarding the latter, invalid (
Certhiola)"
Cœreba wellsi" (
here, pp.394-395)
Mr. Wells, who lived nearly all his life on the [Grenada] Island, never met with one ... [!]
And, note that his full name is given as "John Grant Wells", in the paper:
Gerald H. Thayer’s ornithological work in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Lesser Antilles, by James W. Wiley (2018),
here (on p.35), as well as in the
HBW Alive Key (per 27th of April, 2020)
; "
John Grant Wells (fl. 1902)",
versus: the "
James G. Wells", in/from the OD of "his" Dove ...
!?
In Austin H. Clark's
Birds of the southern Lesser Antilles, from October 1905 (
here), a separate print of the
Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History 32 (
here,
i.e. same text), where he´s mentioned, repeatedly, all through the Paper (use the
Search Inside function), as either; "Wells", "Mr. Wells", or " J. G. Wells", as well as "John Grant Wells" (at that point Clark seems to bee all unaware of the recent death of Mr Wells).
Thus: Does anyone know the true First given name of Mr Wells?
Or is this simply a case of yet another James, nick-named "John" ... or? Surely it must be the same guy, in all three cases?
Note that he himself wrote his name as "John G. Wells". More info on the Dove itself,
here (from
Grenada National Archives), incl. his own hand-written, fairly elegant, signature.
Either way, from what I have seen, I assume the years are correct.
In 1905, in
The Auk XXII, he is mentioned (in context of a Supposed Specimen [from way back in the 1880's] of the Yellow Warbler, from Grenada) as: "... the late Mr. John Grant Wells, ..." (
here). Same exact same phrase was used in the
Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington XVIII (also from 1905): "... the late Mr. John Grant Wells, ..." (
here).
It
could be
this guy (years sure does fit)!?
John Grant Wells
... b. 17 November 1849, d. 1 February 1904
... but if it truly is? I cannot say. It could be. Or not?
However; enjoy!
And take it all, for what it's worth.
Björn
PS. A Pamphlet/list by Mr Wells himself (from 1886/87),
here.
*a synonym of today's Copper-rumped Hummingbird Amazilia tobaci (ssp. ?)
**a synonym of today's Bananaquit ssp. Coereba flaveola aterrima (Lesson, 1830)
