Monsieur Leguat (or/alt. Le Guat), and "his" Birds (1 Viewer)

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Here's a look at the Scientific name ...

leguati as in:
• the extinct (Rodriques) Rail "Erythromachus leguati" MILNE-EDWARDS 1873 (here, on p.6, alt. on #218 in this particular scanned Book/Volume), also described/reprinted here, in 1874) ... last seen alive in the mid-1720's.
... clearly in reference to "Voyage et avantures de François Leguat et de ses compagnons en deux isles désertes des Indes orientales", 1708 = here, alt. here, or here (also see under the generic/genus name Leguatia, below).

According to BnF/Gallica (Bibliotèque national de France) [my bold blue]:

Auteur Leguat, François (1638-1735). Auteur du texte

... also, as such, in the records of Bibliotèque numérique de Lyon/Bibliothèque municipale de Lyon (here, for the French Edition of 1721).


• the extinct, and invalid (Grey) Trembler "Necropsar leguati" FORBES 1898 (here), no dedication, but on p.31 we find a self-evident reference: "to the Second volume of Captain Olivier's [English] edition of The Voyage of François Leguat," ... (in two volumes, 1891, here and here).


• the extinct, and invalid (Rodrigues) Owlet "Bubo ? leguati" ROTHSCHILD 1907 (here), based on "Strix sp." by Milne-Edwards 1874 (here), which is the same Paper as referred to above, as in the first-mentioned "Erythromachus leguati":

Les autres oiseaux terrestres dont Leguat fait mention ...

The dedicatee was/is repeatedly mentioned, as such (only by his Surname), in the same Paper, also (on p.1) as: "... un voyageur français Leguat ..."


In today's Key explained as:

leguati
François Leguat (1637-1735) French explorer, naturalist on Rodrigues 1691 (syn. Cinclocerthia gutturalis (= "Necropsar leguati"), ‡Erythromachus, ‡syn. Mascarenotus murivorus).

But ... was he (truly) born in "1637" ... ?

Apparently there seems to be some uncertainties regarding his Birth year. In various texts stated as either "1637", or "1638", and even "1639" (both with, or without; "about"/"circa", etc.).

Anyone who know (exactly) when (and where) he was born?

Also compare with the following text, from Bibliothèque britannique (from 1735, in French):

Mr. Leguat est mort ici, au commencement du mois de Septembre, afé de nona te & six ans, & aiant censervé jusques à la fin une grande líberté de corps & d’esprit. C’est le même qui publia en 1706, ...

[here, bottom page, and onwards]
​

Thus, was he 98 years old, or 96 years old when he passed? Either way it's (still today) a respectable age (and certainly so in those days!).

Either way, note that his book Voyage et avantures de Francois Leguat was published in 1708 (here), not in 1706 as claimed in the Bibliothèque britannique quote above. Maybe they got his age wrong as well?

Another disturbing thing is that BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library) has him (with his Surname in two parts) as: either "Le Guat, François", or "Le Guat, François, 1637-1735" , the latter in line with the Alvin platform (above) that also has him as: "Le Guat, François, 1637-1735"

I assume the full story ought to be found in either one of the two Books:

• Racault, J-M & P. Carile. 1995. Voyage et aventures de François Leguat et de ses compagnons en deux îles désertes des Indes orientales: 1690–1698.
• Cavaillès, N. 2013. Vie de monsieur Leguat, Paris, Les Éditions du Sonneur.

Anyone who's familiar with this guy (or either one of those Books) ... ?

Björn

PS. He's also remembered in the François Leguat reserve (a k a the François Leguat Giant Tortoise and Cave reserve), on Rodrigues Island (here, alt. here, here, or here).

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

This would also concern ...

Leguatia as in:
• the extinct genera/genus Leguatia SCHLEGEL 1858 (here, in Dutch), as "GALLINULA (LEGUATIA) GIGANTEA":

Syn. Le géant, LEGUAT, voyage, II, p.72, e. fig.
[...]
Staande: Zes voet hoog [Standing: Six feet high (!)]

... which, again takes us (far) back into pre-linnaean times (pre-1758), as it ought to be a refence to (the same work as above, and): "Le Geant" [The Giant], from (the French edition of) Leguat's Voyage (vol.2) 1708, [Voyage et avantures de François Leguat, & de ses compagnons, en deux isles desertes des Indes Orientales ... Le tout enrichi de cartes & de figures. Tome second], here, with the Plate here, alt. here (inserted between page 72, and p.73, accompaniedby some text, I assume, probably here (on p. 72 itself, top of page):

... On voit de grand volées de Butors, & beaucoup de certains oiſeaux qu’on appele Géans, parce que leur tête s’éleve à la hauteur d’environ ſix pieds. Il ſont extrémement haut montez, & ont le cou fort long. ...

If the same Bird was/is mentioned elsewhere in the same Book I cannot tell (as you all know by now, French isn't my "home turf").

Also compare with the Dutch Edition De gevaarlyke en zeldzame reyzen van den heere François Leguat ... 1708 (here, and here, with the Plate of the "Reus-vogel" here (in a somewhat, slightly different depiction, of the same Le Geant, as in the French Edition, see/compare the attached Plates below).





The inverted version of either one of the Plates, in those particular editions, is typical for that Era (and still today), simply as copper prints always turns out reversed, in print (after having been copied, drawn, from another earlier print, and not from the original drawing itself).

In today's Key explained as:

LEGUATIA
‡ (?Phoenicopteridae; † Leguatia gigantea) François Leguat (1637-1735) French explorer, naturalist on Rodrigues 1691; "GALLINULA (LEGUATIA) GIGANTEA. Syn. Le géant, LEGUAT, voyage, II, p. 72, c. fig. … … … DU QUESNE, apud LEGUAT I, 55 (?) Strausartiger Vogel, HAMEL, Bullet. phys.-math. Acad. St. Petersb., Vol. VII, No. 5 et 6. Flamingo, STRICKLAND, The Dodo, p. 60, (note). ... Vaderland: Mauritius, welligt ook Bourbon; toevallig eenmaal op Rodriguez aangetroffen." (Schlegel 1858); "Leguatia Schlegel, Versl. Med. Akad. Wetens. Amst. (Natuurk.) vii, p. 142, 1858. Type by monotypy, Leguatia giganteaSchleg. ... The Giant Rail." (W. Sclater, 1924, Syst. Av. Aethiop., I, 109); "Based only on the account of Leguat (1708), who almost certainly confused it with a flamingo Phoenicopterus sp." (Hume & Walters 2012).

Either way, I (strongly) doubt that the depicted bird (even if somewhat crude) could be a Flamingo (as suggested by Hume & Walters 2012); no slender long and winding neck, no typical down-curved bill/beak, no webbed feet ... nothing even close.

To me, at a first glance, this looks more like a depiction of an Giant, odd Jacana, or a ditto Swamphen/Gallinule.

However, the same bird was again mentioned by Schlegel (in "1872"), as "Leguatia gigantea" here, this time as: "De merkwaardigste soort" [the most remarkable kind] of "DE PURPERKOETEN. PORPHYRIO".

A giant Swamphen!? In Rallidae?

Compare with the look of this one ... !?!

Or (simply) with the first-mentioned species (in post #1). Alt. a Giant (distant/related) version of it ...?

Also, maybe wort considering is the fact that there's several (many, many) Island forms of various species in Porphyrio (both contemporary and pre-historic) has gone extinct since those days ... (even if none, to my knowledge, reached such a remarkable size).

As well, see the Appendix (1891), pp.359–368, here):

“Observed with certainty only by Leguat in 1694. ... ”
[...]
“Seems to represent the Crane-type among water-hens.”

... with two additional illustrations of the bird in question, Le Géant (see here, and here, or below):






And (just for the fun of it, even if somewhat irrelevant), also see the Paper; "Le Leguatia gigantea Schlegel (Rallidé) a-t-il existé?", by Paul Carié, 1930 (here, all in French).

In any case, I'm pretty sure it's not to confuse with the equally (extinct) Rodrigues Solitaire Pezophaps solitaria (here). When Mr Leguat visited Rodrigues (Island), in 1691, it was still alive, still walking around. Note that "De Solitaire" itself also was depicted in Leguat's Work (see here – which is the only known contemporary depiction of this particular species), showing that it had very different feet. Nor should it be confused with any of the smaller (but still larger) species of Elephant Birds, in (†) Aepyornithidae/Aepyornithiformes (which would be an even worse match, and certainly so regarding their feet).

/B

 

[l_raty]

I assume the full story ought to be found in either one of the two Books:

• Racault, J-M & P. Carile. 1995. Voyage et aventures de François Leguat et de ses compagnons en deux îles désertes des Indes orientales: 1690–1698
• Cavaillès, N. 2013. Vie de monsieur Leguat, Paris, Les Éditions du Sonneur,

Anyone who's familiar with this guy (or either one of those Books) ... ?

Voyage et aventures de François Leguat et de ses compagnons en deux îles désertes des Indes orientales (1690-1698)

books.google.com

Vie de monsieur Leguat

France, dix-septième siècle. La révocation de l'Édit de Nantes pousse certains à l'exil, tel François Leguat (1638-1735), huguenot forcé de quitter ses terres à l'âge de cinquante ans. Le destin de cet homme croise dès lors des contrées opposées et éloignées : Hollande, Mascareignes, île...

books.google.com

Both books have 1638 as his birth year.

He himself :

Voyage Et Avantures De François Leguat, & de ses Compagnons, En Deux Isles Desertes Des Indes Orientales

books.google.com

...wrote that his age was over 52 when he departed from Amsterdam, and that the sailing took place on 10 Jul 1690.
This would seem to imply a birth during the year that preceded 10 Jul 1638.

 

[l_raty]

And (just for the fun of it, even if somewhat irrelevant), also see the Paper; "Le Leguatia gigantea Schlegel (Rallidé) a-t-il existé?", by Paul Carié, 1930 (here, all in French).

I found this interesting -- and certainly not irrelevant.

Among other things, Paul Carié argued that the plate in Leguat's book was actually copied from this :

...which was published around 1580 by Adriaen Collaert, and must have been added to Leguat's book by his publisher.
IOW, the plate would not actually represent the bird that Leguat had seen and described.

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Thanks, Laurent!

Agreed, interesting it was. And is. Most certainly so.

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Also note the scribbled text (in pencil) on the back of that Plate:

 

[rollie_nl]

Also note the scribbled text (in pencil) on the back of that Plate:
View attachment 1615472

Which refers to this paper in the Dutch journal Ardea: Oudemans, A.C., Leguatia gigantea Schleg. Ardea 6 (2) : 37 - 55. Downloadable through https://ardea.nou.nu/ardea_search2.php

 

[l_raty]

Also note the scribbled text (in pencil) on the back of that Plate:

Which refers to this paper in the Dutch journal Ardea: Oudemans, A.C., Leguatia gigantea Schleg. Ardea 6 (2) : 37 - 55. Downloadable through https://ardea.nou.nu/ardea_search2.php

Also at : 6, 1917 - Ardea - Biodiversity Heritage Library
The handwritten note appears to be by Anthonie Cornelis Oudemans, the author this Ardea paper.

So, Oudemans already recognised that Collaert's plate was the same as Leguat's. (This had already been noted by Newton as early as 1873.)
His interpretation of this finding was that:

Leguat kopieerde de kopergravure van Collaert blijkbaar, omdat hij onmiddellijk en onbetwistbaar daarin zijn "Géant" herkende.

...i.e., that Leguat apparently copied Collaert's plate because he had immediately and indisputably recognized his "Géant" in it.
It's quite hard to explain, however, how a 6-foot-tall bird from Rodrigues, apparently completely unknown to the contemporaries of Collaert, and not known to have ever been brought to Europe, might have ended up illustrated by a Flemish guy who never travelled farther than Italy...

(I would tend to agree with Carié that the bird illustrated by Collaert looks essentially like a Porphyrio swamphen. This bird may appear huge in comparison to the two apparent Surf Scoters on the same plate; but, as Newton also noted, quite a few of Collaert's plates show birds that were evidently represented at different scales -- e.g., a swallow on the very next plate is almost the same size as two ducks -- hence the relative size of birds on one of his plate can evidently not be trusted. The "giant bird" feeling conveyed by the original plate may have played a role in the choice of this plate as an illustration for Leguat's description, however.)