Numida meleagris bodalyae Boulton, 1934 (1 Viewer)

[Taphrospilus]

Numida meleagris bodalyae Boulton, 1934 OD here

I take pleasure in naming this distinctive guinea fowl in honor of Mrs. Jean Bodaly of Missão Chitau , hostess to many naturalists who have visited Angola.

The Eponym Dictionary of Birds claims:

Helmeted Guineafowl ssp. Numida meleagris bodalyae Boulton, 1934 NCR [JS Numida meleagris marungensis]
Mrs Jean Bodaly (fl.1934) and her husband, John, were Canadian Protestant missionaries to Angola. She made collections of birds at Chitau. Boulton's etymology mentions she had been '... hostess to many naturalists who have visited Angola.'

The Key to Scientific Names

Jean Bodaly (fl. 1930) missionary to Angola, collector (syn. Numida meleagris marungensis).

Think here husband was Edwin Bodaly here

The next day I felt cold and ill but walked 18 miles into the mission at Chitau where Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Bodaly, Canadian missionaries from London, Ontario, were living.

No idea about their life dates and her maiden name.

 

[PScofield]

John Edwin Bodaly​

1893–1974

BIRTH 8 MAR 1893 • London, Middlesex, Ontario, Canada
DEATH 1974 • Strathroy, Ontario, Canada

Marriage
22 Apr 1922 • London, Middesex, Ontario, Canada

Jean Torrens​

1895–1963

BIRTH 19 FEB 1895 • Ballymoney, Antrim, Northern Ireland
DEATH 1963 • London, Middlesex, Ontario, Canada

 

[Taphrospilus]

Do you have her maiden name as well?

 

[PScofield]

Jean Bodaly nee Torrens 1895–1963​

 

[tiago]

I grew up at Chitau Mission with Bodalys as neighbors. Wondering if there is a way to discover what birds she collected and where they are on line?

 

[PScofield]

How interetsing Tiago! Love to hear some of your experiences.

This link gives a list: VertNet Search Portal

461 in all!!

 

[tiago]

How interetsing Tiago! Love to hear some of your experiences.

This link gives a list: VertNet Search Portal

461 in all!!

Thanks for that information. I had no idea of how much effort she put into birds besides all the other mission work and orphanage she managed. “Aunty Jean” was a very humble person who would never have told us she had a bird named in her honour! “Uncle Ed” and her started the mission/farm in 1922 named Missão de Boas Novas (mission of good news) connected with Plymouth Brethren. My parents lived there from 1954-1966 so we grew up there. I spent many hours “in the bush” and loved the remoteness. I remember the Guinea fowl which we would occasionally eat but had no knowledge of their name and possibly that they were endemic. One of my memories of Aunty Jean was her theory (which she tried to convince us of) that the best way to handle a snake was to STARE IT DOWN!! She would hold its gaze but said if you so much as glanced away it would disappear.
Fascinating for children!