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Señor Frobe/en, and "his" Birds (1 Viewer)

Björn Bergenholtz

(former alias "Calalp")
Sweden
Here's a look at the Scientific name/s ....

frobenii as well as frobeenii and frobeni (in chronological order), as in:
• the invalid (Band-tailed/Belcher's) Gull "Larus Frobenii" PHILIPPI & LANDBECK 1861 (here):
Sacamos esta descripcion de un individuo adulto bembra muerto en agosto de 1854 en Arica por el finado A. Frobén, i nos complacemos en dedicar la especie a la memoria de este celoso e intelijente colector.
The same Bird was also described, alt. reported, by the same Authors (in the same year) in the German Journal Archiv für Naturgeschichte (here):
Die Reschreibung ist einem im August 1854 vom verewigten A. F r o b e e n in Arica erlegten alten weiblichen Vogel entnommen und wir haben zu Ehren des eifrigen Sammlers demselben seinen Namen beigelegt.


• the invalid (South American) Tern "Sterna Frobeenii" PHILIPPI & LANDBECK 1863 (here):
Vorstehende Beschreibung ist einem im August 1851 in der Bay von Arica in Peru erlegten alten Weibchen aus der Sammlung von Frobeen in Arica entnommen.
Also note the ending phrase of the preceding Tern species ("Sterna lorata Ph. et Ldb."):
Diese niedliche kleine Seeschwalbe, welche in Gestalt und Grösse mit der europäischen Sterna minuta Linn. Aehnlichkeit hat, wurde in der Bay von Arica im Sept. 1851 durch F o r b e e n [sic] erlegt.

However, the "Frobeen’chen Sammlung in Arica in Peru" was/is also mentioned on p.120, and on p.123, we find it as: "der Samlung des in Arica verstorbenen Frobeen". He's also mentioned himself (as Frobeen) on pp. 128, 130, and 204.

But most important (even if in context of completely different Birds), on p.132 (here), where he's mentioned twice, as [my blue bolds]:
Diese hübsche Avocette, welche mit keiner verwandten Art zu verwechseln ist, wurde vom verstorbenen A. F r o b e e n von Arica ... und nur ein Exemplar — im Juni 1853 — erlegt. ...
[...]
In der Sammlung peruanischer Yögel, welche das National-Museum in Santiago aus dem Nachlasse des in Arica verstorbenen A l f r e d _F r o b e e n acquirirte, befand sich auch ein Vogel ...


the [Altiplano] (Common) Miner ssp. Geositta cunicularia frobeni PHILIPPI & LANDBECK 1864 (here), as "Certhilauda Frobeni":
El Museo Nacional posee un pájaro del Perú matado en julio de 1853 en Putre, en una elevacion de 10,000 piés sobre el nivel del mar, que tiene mucha semejanza con el Caminante, diferenciándose sin embargo tanto en algunos puntos, que no podemos considerarlo como una simple variedad climatica; lo tomamos por especie i le damos el nombre de su descubridor, el señor Froben de Tacna, que una muerte prematura ha arrebatado a la ciencia.
I assume it's the same Bird as "Cunicularia [*] Frobeni Ph. y Ldb.", listed by Landbeck himself in 1872 (here, see No. 231) .

Frobén, Froben, Frobeen, Forbeen ... clearly Philippi & Landbeck had a problem with how the Surname of this guy ought to be written ... ;)


In today's The Key we find him as:
frobeenii / frobeni / frobenii
Alfred von Froben (fl. 1851) Prussian resident in Tacna, Chile (now in Peru), collector (subsp. Geositta cunicularia, syn. Larus belcheri, syn. Sterna hirundinacea).
● ...

From the OD's above (alone), I think we can stretch it into "fl. 1854", at least as far as; in August of 1854 ...

Either way, the origin of the Key's "von" part is unknown to me.

If "our guy" truly was a Noble (as the von Part would indicate), I guess he ought to be able to trace ....

However, other than this I know nothing, absolutely nothing, about this guy (more than what's shown above, of course). I just happened to notice the binary name "Cunicularia Frobeni" (a combination I'd never seen before), and decided (out of pure curiosity) to give him 'a go' ... somewhat in vain, with very little result.

Anyone who can add anything?

Björn

PS. Note that the Eponym Dictionary of Birds (2014), by Beolens et al. has the dedicatee as nothing but: "J. Frobenius (fl.1860) was a collector in Chile (1853)", ... which to me (this far), even if very brief, seems erroneous.

Not to confuse with the (far later) German ethnologist and archaeologist Leo Viktor Frobenius (1873–1938), who travelled around in Central Africa (in the early 1900's), who (according to the same Dictionary, and the Key), was/is commemorated in the (Village/Spotted-backed) Weaver ssp. Ploceus cucullatus frobenii REICHENOW 1923 (here).


*the Generic name Cunicularia is not included in today's Key.
 
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Also note, that in South American/Spanish text (and contexts) we often find him mentioned as: "Adolfo Frobeen" !?!

As well (maybe) noteworthy is that he was/is again mentioned, by Philippi (in 1902), as (nothing but) Señor "Froben" (here, on p.28 and p.100–101), versus "Frobeen", by Sclater and Salvin (in 1876) here.

Also see Lista anotada de las Aves de la coleccion Frobeen existentes en el Museo National de Santiago (here), from 1937, about Le Coleccion Frobeen, where we find the following text:
La colección fué formada por el señor Adolfo Frobeen en Arica entre los años 1851 y 1854. Nos ha sido imposible obtener dates biográficos de este cabailero, pero por el catálogo manuscrito de su colección, y que se ha conservado, se deduce que fué un gran observador y naturalista. ...

He's, equally mentioned, as the same, "Adolfo Frobeen" (on p.130) in Etimología de los nombres científicos de las aves de Argentina, by Alejandro Mouchard, 2019*.

Are we (maybe) looking at yet another case of a German, alt. Prussian, guy (like an Alfred/Adolf Froben/Frobeen, or similar) emigrating to South America? And there he became known as "Adolfo Frobe/en" ... ?!? :unsure:

And here's a real long-shot (!); as in (possibly, plausibly) a Karl Ferdinand Adolf Frobeen, the Author of Quaesionum Plinianarum Specimen: Dissertation Inauguralis, 1888, all in Latin (as shown here, alt. here, or here, full view here).

Or is this a completely different (Señor/Herr) Mr Frobeen ... ?

Anyone who knows... ?!?


/B


*Mouchard, A. 2019 Etimología de los nombres científicos de las aves de Argentina : su significado y origen. 1 Edition. Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires : Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara, pp. 1–389.
 
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I doubt Karl Ferdinand Adolf Frobeen as the dissertation tells us born 1865 in Memel. I would be surprised if he could collect with this birth from 1851 to 1854.

1727267661587.png



But this guy may our man:

Alfred von Froben​

1828–1859​

Birth 16 SEP 1828 • Hamburg, Germany
Death ABT 1859 • Tacna, Peru, South America
 
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Geneanet (here) has him as:
Alfred von Froben
  • Born - Hamburgo, Prusia
  • Deceased

Spouses

Notes
Individual Note

Nació en Hamburgo. Perteneciente a la histórica e ilustre Casa von Froben de Prusia. Pasó al Perú y residió en Tacna, donde contrajo matrimonio con Josefa Valdéz de Coria, natural de San Marcos de Arica en el Perú. Con sucesión.

Also note; same (or very similar) name of the Wife as in Laurent's #5

🧩
 
Several Ancestry trees have him born in on 16 Sep 1828 in Memel, Prussia which is now Klaipeda in Lithuania. Attached is the baptism record of a Eduard Frobeen born 12 Sept 1823 in Memel possibly a brother confirming the spelling. The name Frobeen seems commonest in Sweden. The Arica area has a complex history being in Peru during this period but the records are now split between Chile and Peru. Attched is Alfredo's marriage record in 1848 as Alfredo Froven (native of German).

Following Alfreds death his widow Josepha Maria Valdez Coria remarried in Arica in Jan 1860. This marriage record maybe the best document to find Alfreds date of death.

1727288441495.png
 

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