Björn Bergenholtz
(former alias "Calalp")
While looking for "my" Swedish naturalists I took a quick look at this guy … nothing indicating he was Swedish, more than the double s's in his family name (the standard use in Swedish "son-names"), however commemorated in;
● the subspecies Turdus poliocephalus thomassoni SEEBOHM 1894 a k a "Thomasson's Thrush"
And the obvious question is: Who is, or was, this Mr. Thomasson?
The HBW Alive Key explains it as follow:
) – an article by W. R. Ogilvie Grant, (starting on p.501) " ... With Field-Notes by John Whitehead").
However still not a word of any Mr. Thomasson.
Thereby, my following question: How come this eponym is claimed to commemorate "J. P. Thomasson (1841-1904) collector in the Philippines" when the Type apparently was discovered (and most likely also collected) by Whitehead himself?
And if it truly is a certain "J. P. Thomasson (1841-1904) ..." who is commemorated in this eponym … [I haven´t found any collector, of any Nationality, by the name Thomasson in NHM (here) or elsewhere – that is: active in the Philippines, in that Era] … I think (!) the person we are looking for is John Pennington Thomasson (1841–1904), that I doubt ever was a true Field collector, but a wealthy "Master cotton spinner" and Liberal Party politician, MP … etc. etc. (here, here and here) that (as far as I can tell) never travelled further away than Scandinavia. If it´s him, isn´t he more likely to have been a collector (at home) of birds from the Philippines?
Anyone who know, for sure?
It does fit well with what´s claimed in The history of the collections contained in the Natural history departments of the British museum, vol 2, 1906 (page 497-498, here), doesn´t it?
Take it for what it´s worth; as a thought, an idea of whom it might be commemorating ...
Björn
PS. A small disclaimer: He (?) is referred to as "J. T. Thomasson" on page 284 (here) … the same, also, though clearly an error, on page 509, bottom (here).
x
● the subspecies Turdus poliocephalus thomassoni SEEBOHM 1894 a k a "Thomasson's Thrush"
And the obvious question is: Who is, or was, this Mr. Thomasson?
The HBW Alive Key explains it as follow:
But … the OD, in BBOC 1894 (No. XIX; p.li, here), gives no explanation, nor any dedication. The bird is simply noted as "Merula thomassoni, sp. n."). However; two pages before that, in the Postscript (here) is a promise of a forthcoming "full account" in The Ibis "June 23, 1894.", … which appeared in the July issue (here … anyway I hope, think it was this one Seebohm was intending
) – an article by W. R. Ogilvie Grant, (starting on p.501) " ... With Field-Notes by John Whitehead").However still not a word of any Mr. Thomasson.
Thereby, my following question: How come this eponym is claimed to commemorate "J. P. Thomasson (1841-1904) collector in the Philippines" when the Type apparently was discovered (and most likely also collected) by Whitehead himself?
And if it truly is a certain "J. P. Thomasson (1841-1904) ..." who is commemorated in this eponym … [I haven´t found any collector, of any Nationality, by the name Thomasson in NHM (here) or elsewhere – that is: active in the Philippines, in that Era] … I think (!) the person we are looking for is John Pennington Thomasson (1841–1904), that I doubt ever was a true Field collector, but a wealthy "Master cotton spinner" and Liberal Party politician, MP … etc. etc. (here, here and here) that (as far as I can tell) never travelled further away than Scandinavia. If it´s him, isn´t he more likely to have been a collector (at home) of birds from the Philippines?
Anyone who know, for sure?
It does fit well with what´s claimed in The history of the collections contained in the Natural history departments of the British museum, vol 2, 1906 (page 497-498, here), doesn´t it?
Take it for what it´s worth; as a thought, an idea of whom it might be commemorating ...
Björn
PS. A small disclaimer: He (?) is referred to as "J. T. Thomasson" on page 284 (here) … the same, also, though clearly an error, on page 509, bottom (here).
x
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