Links to digitized versions of original sources of bird names (5 Viewers)

[mb1848]

Thanks Björn. The best part of your post is the link to the Key. We should always start there. I would dearly like to see the original description publication in digitized form. But the Key quotes the description by Hartert who did see it. What more do we need?

 

[l_raty]

Confusingly Merrem published a journal article in 1812-1813 with the Latin title mentioned above: "Tentamen Naturalis Systematis Avium" - see
Merrem, B. (1812–1813). "Tentamen Naturalis Systematis Avium". Abhandlungen der physikalischen Klasse der Königlich-Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften: 237–259.

From reports in 18th C journals (e.g., see here, here, etc.), it seems that:

• Merrem published in 1788 a work that was titled "Naturalis systematis avium tentamen" (i.e., not, actually, "Tentamen naturalis etc.").
• This was part one in his "Primae lineae ornithologiae ex germanicis latinae factae", which was published in the same period, and with the same publisher, as his "Versuch eines Grundrisses zur allgemeinen Geschichte und natürlichen Eintheilung der Vögel", and may indeed have been a Latin version of the latter.

 

[mb1848]

Thanks Laurent very helpful. In a 2017 paper the authors comment on this publication: Rara (vom Verlag nicht in den Verkauf geliefert?) Rare (not sold by the publisher?)
https://www.researchgate.net/public...en_Klassifikation_zu_einem_naturlichen_System .
Which would mean a MS name?
A peak into Rolf Schlenker. "Bibliographie der Deutschen Vogelkundlichen Literatur von 1480 bis 1850" Hiersmann. Suttgart. 2004 to see if Merrem's works are discussed is in order.

 

[mb1848]

Laurent said "and may indeed have been a Latin version of the latter."
In Richmond's own handwriting he explains that there was a German and Latin version of the 1786 book of Merrem.
Avium rariorum et minus cognitarum - Biodiversity Heritage Library .
German version of 1786.
Beyträge zur besonderen Geschichte der Vögel .
They are very different. This book has the original description of the Fox Sparrow Fringilla iliaca. Allegedly given by a Hessian Officer who fought for King George in America to Merrem in Marburg. As a boy in school both George and the Hessians got bad reviews.
https://zoonomen.net/cit/RI/SP/Frin/frin00286a.jpg .
Covered by Rick Wright! We All Remember the Hessian Mercenaries…. .

 

[l_raty]

Thanks Laurent very helpful. In a 2017 paper the authors comment on this publication: Rara (vom Verlag nicht in den Verkauf geliefert?) Rare (not sold by the publisher?)
https://www.researchgate.net/public...en_Klassifikation_zu_einem_naturlichen_System .
Which would mean a MS name?

I guess it might, if this could be proven. But I find it hard to believe that a work which, in contemporary journals, was reported as published, was reviewed (here), and was reported as having been offered for sale at the 1787 Leipziger Michaellismesse (here; also reported as offered at the price of 4 thlr at the 1788 Ostermesse here), was not actually published.

(In the absence of strong contradictory evidence, being listed in the Allgemeines Verzeichniß der Bücher offered at the 1787 Michaellismesse amounts to evidence of having been published on 30 Sep 1787 according to:
Evenhuis NL. 2014. Dates of the Leipzig book fairs (1758–1860), with notes on the book catalogs. Sherbornia, 1: 1-4.

http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/dating/sherbornia/issues/s01-01.pdf)

Avium rariorum et minus cognitarum - Biodiversity Heritage Library .
German version of 1786.
Beyträge zur besonderen Geschichte der Vögel .
They are very different. This book has the original description of the Fox Sparrow Fringilla iliaca.

The first part of the German version was published in 1784. The Google Book link to the German version above is to the second part only; for the complete German version, see Beyträge zur besonderen Geschichte der Vögel.
The Latin may not be a direct translation of the German, but the overall content of the two versions is the same. Same birds covered, same plates, same general meaning of the texts.

As an illustration: the Fox Sparrow was Drossel-Fincke (Thrush-finch) in German.

Allegedly given by a Hessian Officer who fought for King George in America to Merrem in Marburg.

Merrem said nothing about King George, but he wrote:

• In German: "Diese neue Finckenart ist durch einen hessischen Officier aus Nord Amerika mitgebracht und hernach in meine Sammlung gekommen ohne dass ich im Stande war von seinem Vaterlande, Lebensart und Nahrung nähere und bestimmtere Nachricht zu erhalten."
  = This new finch species was brought from North America by a Hessian officer and later entered my collection without me being able to obtain additional and definite information about its homeland, way of life and food.
• In Latin: "Noua haec est Fringillae species, ab Armigero Hassico ex America septentrionali aduecta, inque meum translata Museum, cuius solam hic exhibeo descriptionem, qui de patria, moribus, vitaeque ratione ac victu illius adferre alia plura haud aeque possim."
  = This is a new finch species, brought from North America by a Hessian officer, and transferred to my museum, of which I here only present the description, for which I cannot equivalently provide much more about its homeland, manners, way of life and food.

Of course, "e germanicis latinae factae" (made Latin from the German), in the Latin work's title, indicates unambiguously that the latter was intended as the Latin version of an originally German text.

 

[l_raty]

the Fox Sparrow was Drossel-Fincke (Thrush-finch) in German.

Incidentally... In the Key, we can find :

iliaca
Late L. iliacus of the flanks < L. ilia, ilium flanks, loins < ile, ilis flank.

iliacus
● Late L. iliacus of the flanks < L. ilia, ilium flanks, loins < ile, ilis flank (subsp. Cistothorus palustris).
● Med. L. iliacus (Gaza 1476), translation of Gr. ιλιας ilias or ιλλας illas type of thrush (“There is no adjective in classical Latin from ilia = flanks” (BOU 1915); cf. L. iliacus relating to the colic < ileos severe colic); "95. TURDUS. ... iliacus. 3. T. alis subtus flavescentibus, rectricibus tribus lateralibus apice utrinque albis. Turdus iliacus. Raj. av. 64. n. 4. Klein. av. 66. Aldr. orn. l. 16. c. 4. Turdus viscivorus maurus. Alb. av. I. p. 31. t. 33. Habitat in Europa. Linea nulla superciliorum alba. Caro ob amaritiem minus accepta." (Linnaeus 1758) (Turdus).

However, as Merrem's Fringilla iliaca was quite clearly a mere latinization of his "Drossel-Fincke", his use of iliaca was arguably not accordig to the single etymology suggested for this word in the Key, but rather in a sense closer to the second etymology suggested for iliacus.

 

[Peter Brick]

Thank you for all your sleuthing. If I could find a library with a copy that is a member of the BHL consortium, I could write to BHL and suggest they arrange for the book to be scanned and added to their collection. The members of the BHL consortium are listed here:

BHL Consortium – About BHL

about.biodiversitylibrary.org

The Smithsonian library doesn't list the book. The Natural History Museum in London has a copy, see here
https://nhm.primo.exlibrisgroup.com...,contains,Blasius Merrem&mode=basic&offset=10

but is a incomplete with parts "supplied by photostat reproduction".

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

... If I could find a library with a copy that is a member of the BHL consortium, I could write to BHL and suggest they arrange for the book to be scanned and added to their collection. ...

Peter, try BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France), as of here.

And: Good luck!

/B

 

[mb1848]

Thanks Laurent for the translations and finding the Evenhuis et al paper which proves "publication". Audubon called the iliaca bird the Fox-coloured Sparrow and the red (fox-coloured) part of his drawing was on its flanks, (and tail) so I think Americans looked to the flank idea for iliaca but I think you are right it refers to a thrush like bird.
Peter the link of yours which discusses the version of the Merrem book latin version at Tring and the Rothschild library must be the book where Hartert found the genus name. I still would like to see this publication.
Björn only one copy on WorldCat shows how rare this is.

 

[l_raty]

Peter, try BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France), as of here.

This is presumably going to be the German version, however. (This would be better than nothing, but still not ideal.)
Ditto:

Versuch einer natürlichen Eintheilung der Voegel | WorldCat.org (SUB Göttingen; Thüringer Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek)​

Versuch eines Grundrisses zur allgemeinen Geschichte und natürlichen Eintheilung der Vögel | WorldCat.org (Universitäts- und Stadtbibliothek Köln)​

Versuch eines Grundrisses zur allgemeinen Geschichte und natürlichen Eintheilung der Voegel. Theil I, Bd. 1, Heft 1; Theil II, Bd. 1, Heft 1 | WorldCat.org (Harvard University)​

https://www.worldcat.org/title/969463290 (Landesbibliothek Coburg)​

https://www.worldcat.org/title/1148859128 (TU Darmstadt; Bayerische Staatsbibliothek)​

This should be the Latin version:

https://www.worldcat.org/title/488859124​

...but WorldCat doesn't know of a copy.

 

[Peter Brick]

As pointed out by Laurent with the Worldcat link above, Harvard University, a member of the BHL consortium, hold a copy of the German edition. The catalogue entry is here:

http://id.lib.harvard.edu/alma/990053333530203941/catalog

The entry reads:
"Versuch eines Grundrisses zur allgemeinen Geschichte und natürlichen Eintheilung der Voegel. Theil I, Bd. 1, Heft 1; Theil II, Bd. 1, Heft 1"
I suspect Theil. I (Part 1) is the German text and that Theil. II is the Latin text ie "Tentamen Naturalis Systematis Avium"
I've submitted a request to BHL asking them to scan this volume.

 

[Taphrospilus]

Is the zoological part of Voyage dans l'Inde, par Victor Jacquemont, pendant les années 1828 à 1832, publié sous les auspices de M. Guizot somewhere online. I found only v. 4 pt. 3 - Voyage dans l'Inde - Biodiversity Heritage Library but there is no zoology.

That there is a zoological part we can see here. But to cheap for me to buy all volumes just for fun.

 

[Peter Brick]

Is the zoological part of Voyage dans l'Inde, par Victor Jacquemont, pendant les années 1828 à 1832, publié sous les auspices de M. Guizot somewhere online. I found only v. 4 pt. 3 - Voyage dans l'Inde - Biodiversity Heritage Library but there is no zoology.

That there is a zoological part we can see here. But to cheap for me to buy all volumes just for fun.

Is this what you are looking for?

Voyage dans l'Inde

books.google.co.uk

 

[Taphrospilus]

Unfortunately not I would like to see the plates (planches) Mammifères et Oiseaux explained on p. 89 of your link.

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Unfortunately not I would like to see the plates (planches) Mammifères et Oiseaux explained on p. 89 of your link.

Ought to be the same eight Plates (Planche No. I–VIII), as in Description des collections de Victor Jacquemont: Mammiferes et Oiseaux (1842–1843), written by Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (here, scroll down/onwards).

Some of those Plates are also shown here, or here, alt. here.

 

[mb1848]

Björn, your first link did not work for me in the USA.
Here: Tafeln: Oiseaux .

 

[l_raty]

Also: Shared Publication

 

[Taphrospilus]

Is....

Les oiseaux et les fleurs, Album dédié aux jeunes demoiselles, renfermant un choix des plus jolis oiseaux et des plus belles fleurs. orné de 24 lithographies coloriées. J.Langlumé, Paris Les oiseaux et les fleurs, Album dédié aux jeunes demoiselles, renfermant un choix des plus jolis oiseaux et des plus belles fleurs. orné de 24 lithographies coloriées.: Bon Couverture rigide Edition originale | Magnus

...somewhere digitalized?

 

[mb1848]

....somewhere digitilized?
OCLC locates a single copy (Chicago Botanic Garden, Lenhardt Library); not in the BnF catalogue or the Cat. coll. de France. Gumuchian.
From:
https://www.musinskyrarebooks.com/images/upload/musinsky-catalogue-two.pdf . One picture on page 78 of 80.
Lenhardt Library Rare Book Collection | Chicago Botanic Garden .

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Which Bird taxon, or what original source, is supposed to be found in it?

Martin, please enlighten us.

Note that the Musinsky Rare Books Catalogue (Mark' first link in post #319) states "Common names only are given" (see top of page 54). One of the Picture ("the Hoopoe") is shown on p. 76 (alt. "on page 78 of 80", as Mark wrote it, in the PDF version).