Minor on Lamprolia klinesmithi Ramsay, EP 1876 and others (1 Viewer)

[Taphrospilus]

Lamprolia klinesmithi Ramsay, 1876 OD v.1=[no.1-4] (1875-1877) - Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales - Biodiversity Heritage Library

Ornithologists will, I am sure, congratulate Mr. Klinesmith, of Levuka, on the discovery of this very beautiful and interesting bird;

Petroica pusilla kleinschmidti Finsch, 1876 1875 - Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London - Biodiversity Heritage Library

Besides a bird from the Feejees, which has been collected and forwared by Mr. Theodor Kleinschmidt, of Nai-Koro, Ovalau....

Erythrura kleinschmidti (Finsch, 1878) OD 1878:Jan.-Apr. - Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London - Biodiversity Heritage Library

Mr. Kleinschmidt, the indefatigable collector of the Museum Godeffroy, discovered this beautiful new species in the interior of Viti-Levu, in November 1877;

Myzomela kleinschmidti Sharpe, 1884 OD v.3 (1875-1888) - The birds of New Guinea and the adjacent Papuan islands - Biodiversity Heritage Library

...which we propose to call Myzomela kleinschmidti, after the late well-known collector who discovered it.

The Eponym Dictionary of Birds

A comprehensive dictionary listing all the people whose names are commemorated in the English and scientific names of birds.Birdwatchers often come across bird names that include a person's name, either in the vernacular (English) name or latinised in the scientific nomenclature. Such names are...

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Pinkbilled Parrotfinch Erythrura kleinschmidti Finsch, 1878
Pacific Robin ssp. Petroica multicolor kleinschmidti Finsch, 1876
Silktail ssp. Lamprolia victoriae klinesmithi E. P. Ramsay, 1876 [Trinominal often amended to kleinschmidti, but original spelling used here]
Johann Theodor Kleinschmidt (1834–1881) was a German sailor, merchant and animal collector. He was the uncle of Otto Kleinschmidt (q.v.). He emigrated from Germany to the USA (1858) and worked for 12 years for a trading house in St Louis. He fought in the Civil War, achieving the rank of Major. As was As was very common with immigrants into the USA in the 19th century, he changed his name and became John Theodore Klinesmith. However, the war forced him to cease trading. He went to Melbourne (1870) but failed to find work, so moved onto Fiji where he settled–but in penury when the cotton trade collapsed and he lost everything. J. C. Godeffroy (q.v.) gave him the position (1875) of animal collector and explorer based at his company's establishment on the island of Mioko (in Papua New Guinea between New Britain and New Ireland). From there he made many trips to various islands in the South-West Pacific. He sent numerous bird specimens to Godeffroy along with drawings of the habitat where he collected. On one of his collecting expeditions on Mioko, aborigines murdered him and his two local helpers.

The Key to Scientific Names - Birds of the World

Species accounts for all the birds of the world.

birdsoftheworld.org

Theodor Kleinschmidt (1834-1881) German trader, explorer, collector in the Pacific 1875-1881 (Lamprolia).

The Key to Scientific Names - Birds of the World

Species accounts for all the birds of the world.

birdsoftheworld.org

Theodor Kleinschmidt (1834-1881) German trader, explorer, collector in the Pacific 1875-1881 (syn. Myzomela cruentata coccinea, subsp. Petroica pusilla, Rhamphostruthus) (see klinesmithi).

Theodor Kleinschmidt – Wikipedia has him as well as Johann Theodor Kleinschmidt. As well Globus or Leopoldina or Die Natur .


As well Rhamphostruthus kleinschmidti seems today genus Erythrura.
Feel free to correct anything if I got it wrong or add any information of relevance.

 

[PScofield]

Some myth-making here probably much by Theodor himself. Kleinschmidt undertook as many as 10 voyages during his merchant naval career to places as diverse as Myanmar and Australia but he made 5 trips to New Orleans and actually deserted the merchant navy in Sept 1858 in New Orleans (attached). I can find little evidence he changed his name to Klinesmith (military records for all the "Theodor Kleinschmidts" all have the German spelling). A major issue however was there were 2 other Theodor Kleinschmidts in St Louis, one a corn merchant and the other a millionaire brewer. Neither of these people is "our man" and I suspect the stories of his merchant career are problematic. Similarly, there seems a likelihood that the major in the Missouri 3rd and a private Theodor Kleinschmidt in the same unit (who only lasted 3 months in 1861) seem to have been confused.

I was also dubious about the idea that Otto was Theodor's nephew. However, this checks out as Otto's (who was born in Geinsheim (Kornsand) on the Rhine 300km from Theodor's supposed birthplace) father was Adolph. Adolf (1836-1918) parent's were Georg Wilhelm Kleinschmidt & Marie Katharine Amalie van Heyken as were Theodors.

Lamprolia victoriae klinesmithi: Mayr (in Peters XI:527) corrects the name to "kleinschmidti". Given the lack of evidence that his name was ever Klinesmith one could argue that this was a justifiable correction under Article 32.5, however the current wording of this Article says "32.5.1. If there is in the original publication itself, without recourse to any external source of information, clear evidence of an inadvertent error, such as a lapsus calami or a copyist's or printer's error, it must be corrected. Incorrect transliteration or latinization, or use of an inappropriate connecting vowel, are not to be considered inadvertent errors." Thus I assume it is not a justifiable correction under the current code but the code that Mayr used did NOT have this extra caveat hence his act to correct it was "legal".

 

[l_raty]

Otto Finsch (i.e., a German), just like Ramsay, called him "Mr. Klinesmith, of Levuka", in the OD of Lamprolia victoriae Finsch 1874 -- the type of which had been collected by him as well. Although there may never have been an official change, there can be no real doubt either that he was known under this name (and probably used it himself) while in Fiji.

Lamprolia victoriae klinesmithi: Mayr (in Peters XI:527) corrects the name to "kleinschmidti". Given the lack of evidence that his name was ever Klinesmith one could argue that this was a justifiable correction under Article 32.5, however the current wording of this Article says "32.5.1. If there is in the original publication itself, without recourse to any external source of information, clear evidence of an inadvertent error, such as a lapsus calami or a copyist's or printer's error, it must be corrected. Incorrect transliteration or latinization, or use of an inappropriate connecting vowel, are not to be considered inadvertent errors." Thus I assume it is not a justifiable correction under the current code but the code that Mayr used did NOT have this extra caveat hence his act to correct it was "legal".

Actually, Mayr's text in PCL XI was published in 1986 -- the Code that was in force at this point was the 3rd edition of the ICZN (1985), and it already had a similarly worded Art. 32(c)(ii).
But, anyway, any action taken "legally" under previous Rules and Codes, but not "legal" under the current ICZN, is to be treated as "illegal" now (see Art 86.3). The only way that this correction might be "legal" (i.e., a justified emendation) under the current Code, would be if the corrected name was "in prevailing usage and [...] attributed to the original author and date" (Art. 33.2.3.1).

 

[PScofield]

I am just trying to get to the bottom of this. I see Mayr actually made this emendation (without comment) in his 1945 "Birds of the SW Pacific". Also, a search of Google would suggest both spellings are in prevailing usage with "kleinschmidti" commonest in the 1970s and 1980s but less so recently. Interestingly here it states that the original label of a syntype in the Australian Museum in Ramsey's hand says "from Kleinschmidt one of the types" which would suggest that Ramsey (or the printers) anglicised his name. I also note that on Vertnet the other syntypes collector is given as "T. Kleinschmidt" and the taxon itself is called "Lamprolia victoriae kleinschmidti" on Vertnet

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

...
Theodor Kleinschmidt – Wikipedia has him as well as Johann Theodor Kleinschmidt. As well Globus or Leopoldina or Die Natur .
...
Feel free to correct anything if I got it wrong or add any information of relevance.

Martin, if still of interest (?), even if a bit late, note that (Neue) Deutsche Biographie has him as, nothing but:

Kleinschmidt, Theodor
Kaufmann und Naturforscher, * 6.3.1834 Wolfhagen bei Kassel, ermordet 10.4.1881 Insel Utuaia im New-Britannia-Archipel (Bismarck-Archipel).

Genealogie
V Georg (1806–61), Repositor;
M Amalie van Heyken (* 1810);
Ur-Gvm →Christoph Engelbrecht van Heyken (1732–80), Hofgärtner in Kassel;
- ⚭ (in USA od. Australien) N. N.; kinderlos;
N →Otto (s. 1).

Biographie
K. konnte sich auf Grund der Mittellosigkeit seiner Eltern keiner seiner Begabung entsprechenden Ausbildung widmen. Er erlernte den Kaufmannsberuf, der ihm wenig zusagte, in dem er jedoch schon mit 18 Jahren in der Verwaltung der Main-Weser-Bahn tätig sein konnte. Aber bereits ...

[here]​

And observe that this entry was written by Adolf Kleinschmidt (who I assume ought to know).

Also note that he same Deutsche Biographie as well include his "N" (Neffe/Nephew):

Kleinschmidt, Otto
Pfarrer und Ornithologe, * 13.12.1870 Kornsand bei Geisenheim/Rhein, † 25.3.1954 Wittenberg.

Genealogie
V Adolph (1836–1918), Fabrikverwalter, S d. Georg (s. Gen. 2);
M Elise (1837–1907), T d. Heinrich Dreydorff u. d. Wilhelmine May;
Ov [Onkel väterlicherseits] →Theodor (s. 2);
Om →Georg Dreydorff (1834–1905), D. Dr. phil., ref. Pfarrer in Leipzig, theol. Schriftsteller (s. Wi. 1905);
Vt →Christian Deichler (1876–1954), Patentanwalt in Berlin, Ornithologe (s. L);
- ⚭ Eisleben 1899 Klara (1875–1957), T d. Kreisbaurats Moritz Krebel u. d. Martha Klekow;
2 S, 1 T, u. a. Hans (* 1908), Pfarrer, Nachf. K.s als Leiter d. ev. kirchl. Forschungsheims in W.

Biographie
Durch eigene Erkundungen im heimatlichen Rheingebiet und als Begleiter seines Vaters wurde K. schon als Kind mit der einheimischen Fauna bekannt und mit naturkundlichen Sammel- und Präparierarbeiten vertraut. Hierin wurde...

[here]
​

Thus, no "Johann" in sight.

Hopefully of some help use (if you're still pondering) ...

/B

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Also note that Mearns & Mearns, 2022* (in Vol. 2, pp.468–469) has the younger guy (Otto Kleinschmidt), as:

KLEINSCHMIDT, Konrad Ernst Adolf Otto (1870–1954)

According to them (covering the Western Palearctic) he's commemorated in:
• the Crested Lark ssp. Galerida cristata kleinschmidti Erlanger, 1899
• the (British) Willow Tit ssp. Poecile montanus kleinschmidti (Hellmayr, 1900)
• the Rock Pipit ssp. Anthus petrosus kleinschmidti Hartert, 1905

(I myself haven't checked any of those ssp., and I see no reason to doubt either one)

/B

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*Biographies for Birdwatchers – The Lives of Those Commemorated in Western Palearctic Bird Names (Revised and expanded edition), by Barbara Mearns and Richard Mearns, in two volumes, 2022.