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Some Japanese Eponyms (1 Viewer)

Björn Bergenholtz

(former alias "Calalp")
Sweden
On a request, made in November (by myself and James Jobling), my dear friend and neighbour (here in Stockholm, Sweden) Mr Nobuhiko Osawa has kindly lent us his time, and his knowledge in Japanese (also of Old School Japanese) and I think he now, after a couple of Months, has managed to find quite a few additional pieces, on some earlier unknown Japanese Naturalist and collectors (most of them close to all unknown, in most details, at least to us Europeans, and other 'Westerners').

Thus, the following is what Mr Osawa could find ...

[New info, compared to Jobling's MS = underlined]

isizawai as in:
the invalid "Troglodytes troglodytes isizawai"* MOMIYAMA 1927 (excerpt of OD below):

isizawai - MOMIYAMA 1927 .jpg

Jobling's MS (November 2020):
T. Ishizawa (fl. 1926) collector ...

Nobuhiko Osawa in litt. (March 2021):
Takeo Ishizawa [石澤健夫] (18991967)
He worked at Research Division for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
He also published 8 books under the pen name Jicho Ishizawa [石沢慈鳥] about Birds, wild animals and insects. Some of these received favourable comments.

Thus, as simple as that; case closed! 👍

Enjoy!

Björn

PS. The only thing I might add, is that this guy; "T. [Takeo] Ishizawa" himself (at least according to the Richmond Cards) personally described:

"Hirundapus caudacutus, var. uchidae" ISHIZAWA 1928 [-ae = feminine ending!]
... a taxon equally (the same year, re-) described as (alt. amended, or altered into);
"Hirundapus caudacutus uchidai" ISHIZAWA 1928 [with a more proper masculine ending]

... which (both, at least the latter ;)) honours the Japanese ornithologist Seinosuke UCHIDA [内田清之助] (1884–1975), who, in his turn, was/is remembered in (for example); the equally invalid "Dryobates leucotos uchidai"** MOMIYAMA 1927 (clearly connecting the guys involved).

---

To be continued

[with even more equally/poorly understood Japanese eponyms]


*Today a synonym of the (Winter/Eurasian) Wren ssp. Troglodytes troglodytes fumigatus Temminck, 1835
**Today a synonym of the (White-backed) Woodpecker ssp. Dendrocopos leucotos namiyei (Stejneger, 1886)
 
osai as in:
in the Large-billed Crow ssp. Corvus macrorhynchos osai OGAWA 1905 (excerpts of OD below):

osai - 1.jpg
osai - 2.jpg
osai - 3.jpg
Jobling's MS (November 2020):
M. Osa (fl. 1904) collector ...

Nobuhiko Osawa in litt. (March 2021):
His full name is Masamichi Osa [長聖道], who in 1899 changed his name to 長政道 – Seidou Cho. In Japanese Directory he is recorded, by both names, as an employee of the Owston Trading company, where he worked as a head clerk, from 1882 to 1910.

Alan Owston (1853–1915) was a naturalist who collected and traded Natural History materials. For an article about Owston and some of his employees, see link below (written mostly in Japanese, but with an English Abstract):

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329578441_Biographic_Review_of_Alan_Owston

Alt., in parts; Mr. Masamichi Osa personally collected various specimens (in the Field) for Alan Owston, at least from 1882 until 1898, and thereafter he continued to be one of Owston's employees (in office) until at least 1910.

And that's about all that seems possible to find about him. Neither I could find any other additional pieces, or even years, for Mr Osa (and absolutely nothing regarding his Birth, nor about his Death). After 1910 Masamichi Osa simply made himself scarce, and vanished ... into thin air.

Maybe anyone here on BirdForum know anything additional about "our guy" Masamichi Osa?

I assume James would welcome any additional piece, or part (whatever small, or large).

Note the Identical first (Japanese) letter 長 for Osa, as well as Cho (!?), which is all correct according to my Japanese friend, though (and this he really wanted to point out, and emphasize); according to him; this guy is only known as Mr (Masamichi) Osa, in an ornithological context, or in any Natural History point of view, for that matter. In such contexts he's known/mentioned only as Osa, nothing else.

The alternate 'Cho' transcription/interpretation/version of his surname was only used elsewhere (i.e.; "off-Natural History"), and certainly not in connection to "his" Crow (at least not closer than what's told above).

---

To be continued

[... the next, or the next following, weekend (I hope). We'll see.]​

/B
 
suzukii as in:
the invalid "Rallina suzukii"* MOMIYAMA 1930 (a nomen nudum)
the equally invalid "Rallina fasciata suzukii" MOMIYAMA 1932 (i.e. same bird, second try*)
... collected at "Iwatasi" on the small Island Botel Tobago, South of Formosa (today's Taiwan)

Note: both 'OD's unseen by me. And the Richmond Cards, here and here, doesn't tell us more than: "... collected 9 June 1929, by Z. Suzuki".

Jobling's MS (November 2020):
Mrs Z. Suzuki (fl. 1929) collector on Taiwan ...

Nobuhiko Osawa in litt. (March 2021):
His full name is Zenshichi Suzuki [鈴木善七]

No more details found about Mr Suzuki.

In November I found his full name in a Taiwanese blog about the source of Human avian influenza, where it was mentioned, in context of the Red-legged Crake, found in 1929 by "Zenshichi Suzuki". Unfortunately I failed to take note of the internet address, and I couldn’t find it again. Anyway, this blog was from 2009, written in Chinese, and I could read it helped by Google translation.

Note that his Given name has also been transcribed/translated as/into "Zenzaki" [sic! – in other, or the same (non-ornithological) text/s, translated from Chinese, that is!], although I feel far more secure and far, far more convinced that the spelling used above, by my Japanese friend himself, is the more (most) proper one.

Also note that in the Eponym Dictionary of Birds (2014) those names are equally claimed to commemorate an unknown "Mrs Z. Suzuki", although I agree with Osawa as I (even earlier) suspected that something might be wrong here (that is, with the "Mrs" part, versus the masculine genetive ending -i, in the eponym suzukii), contrary to an expected (but not always used) feminine ditto.

Although, this suspicion of mine turned out even more justified, after having found the following piece/article, and phrase! Written by Momiyama himself (in 1931), found in the OD of the Owl ssp. "Ninox (Ctenoglaux) scutulata totogo", in the Japanese journal Amoeba III, on page 68, [luckily (for me, and most of us) this paper was translated into English by Hiroshi Momose (for the Global Owl Project), here, (my blue bold)]:
Mr. Zenshichi Suzuki, a collector whom I sent to Taiwan the same year ...

Equally noteworthy is that this short phrase was published in Amoeba, Vol. 3 (1931), the exact same journal where Momiyama's very first "Rallina suzukii" appeared (in Amoeba, Vol. 2, 1930), even if there, at first, only a nomen nudum (at least according to the Richmond Card).

However, no other, additional years found for Mr. Suzuki, neither regarding his Birth, nor his Death.

Maybe someone here could find an additional piece, or clue, that might take us a bit forward?

See for example the following links:
• Bulletin of the Biogeographical Society of Japan, Index (1930–32); here
... or/alt; here, here, here, or here.

Also the following two (Japanese) papers, dealing with the Type location Botel Tobago Island (Kôtôsho) itself, that might be worth checking, as well; here and here (for anyone who can understand them, of course :rolleyes:) ...

Either way; enjoy!

Björn

---

To be continued

(with No.4 in James's List of unsolved Japanese eponyms)

[... hopefully the next weekend]​


*Today (both) synonym/s of (monotypic) Red-legged Crake Rallina fasciata RAFFLES 1822
 
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teraokai X 3 as in:
• today's (Palau Island) Collared Kingfisher ssp. (Halcyon) Todiramphus chloris teraokai KURODA 1915 (here, here, here and Plate here), as "Halcyon chloris teraokai"
• today's (Truk/Caroline Islands) Micronesian Imperial-Pigeon ssp. Ducula oceanica teraokai MOMIYAMA 1922 (here, here and here, with a [Plate V] Photo of specimens [No.2 &3] here), as "Globicera oceanica teraokai"
• the invalid "Periparus ater teraokai"* KURODA 1922 (here)

Jobling's MS (November 2020):
N. Teraoka (1885-1955) ...

Nobuhiko Osawa in litt. (March 2021):
His full name is Naoshi Teraoka [寺岡直]

He was first an employee of Owston's trading company, and after that employed by Mr Keisuke Kobayashi’s trading company. The latter employer, Mr Kobayashi, was a member of the Japanese ornithological society, and I suspect that also Mr Teraoka could have been a member of this society, as I found him in a Photograph from the society’s regular meeting in December 1916, at marquis Kuroda’s residence.

For the Photo**, mentioned by Mr Osawa above, see below [Mr Naoshi Teraoka (in the Yellow square)]Mr Teraoka, at Kurodas' residence, December 1916.jpg

Thus, as James already had his years, it gives us; Naoshi Teraoka (18851955), collector for Kuroda, at least between 1915 and 1920, on Pelew Island (23 May 1915), and on the Islands "Tsushima" and "Iku" (located between "Kiusiu" and "Corea"/"Korea"), during the Autumn of 1920. In May 1919 the same Mr Teraoka also collected the type of the Imperial Pigeon ssp. (above), on Truk (earlier a k a Ruk) Island, Micronesia, for Momiyama.

Enjoy

Björn

---

To be continued

*Today a synonym of the (East Asian) Coal Tit ssp. Periparus ater insularis (Hellmayr 1902)
**From the Japanese Journal of Ornithology, Vol. 61 (Special Issue – Celebrating their centenary/centennial), from June 2012 (on the third unpaginated page, Photo No.3). Note that this Photo was taken in December 1916 [not in "1926" as claimed (earlier) elsewhere (which was presumably just a typo)].
 
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toyoshimai as in:
• the Eastern Buzzard ssp. Buteo (buteo/burmanicus*) japonicus toyoshimai MOMIYAMA 1927 (OD attached, in excerpts, of relevant parts), as "Buteo japonicus toyoshimai"

Jobling's MS (November 2020):
K. Y. Toyoshima (fl. 1930) botanist on Bonin Islands ...

Nobuhiko Osawa in litt. (March 2021):
His full name is Yoshikiyo Toyoshima [豊島恕清]

He was a Director of Ogasawara (Bonin islands) Forest Service.

Thus, not "K. Y." (which would be the opposite way; 'Kiyo-Yoshi', a case of Eastern versus Western way of writing I assume. In any case, however written, it's not to be hyphenated).

Also note that this subspecies is (still today) only present on the Izu Islands and Bonin Islands, where "Mr. Y. Toyoshima" once found them, on assignment for Momiyama, on "Oki-mura, Coffin Island" (Bonin Islands) on the 9th of februari 1925. He also seems to have lived on Peel Island (at least in 1927), but that's about all I (myself) can find about Yoshikiyo Toyoshima.

I've seen no trace of him later than 1927, and no additional dates/years found, and absolutely nothing regarding his Birth, nor his Death.

Anyone who know better, or just luckier (when searching for him) ... ?

If so, feel free to add whatever small, or large. Every single, additional piece is welcome!

Björn

---

To be continued

[... with yet another Japanese eponym, hopefully the next weekend.]

*According to Kuroda, 1932 (here) a synonym of: Buteo [buteo/japonicus] "burmanicus" OATES 1875 ... !?
Though, also consider Penhallurick & Dickinson, 2008 (here). A more updated view I assume
🤔
 

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And here's maybe the most important one, of the names in Jobling's short List, as it's the only one concerning a (today still) valid, full species ...

noguchii as in:
the Okinawa Woodpecker (Sapheopipo) Dendrocopos noguchii SEEBOHM 1887 (here), as "Picus noguchii" (with a nice Plate on the following page):
This entirely new species, which I have named according to Mr. Pryer's instructions, ...

The holotype itself (a juvenile male specimen) is today kept in the (British) Natural History Museum; (here) where it's listed as: "Collected by H. Pryer and presented by H. Seebohm"

Jobling's MS (November 2020):
T. Noguchi (fl. 1887) collector ...

Nobuhiko Osawa in litt. (March 2021):
T. Noguchi" ?


After having searched for him (or she?), there are two possibilities.
But if "T. Noguchi" truly is the person we ought to look for there are only one, and who knows who he (she) was!?

Many people in Japan point at one certain Mr Noguchi, but his name has always been interpreted and translated as Gennosuke Noguchi [野口源之助], thus not "T. Noguchi".

Dr Masaru Kato [加藤克] at the Hokkaido University has written an essay about the "Origin of the name of Okinawa Woodpecker" (2006, 24 pages, all in Japanese), but it gives us no definite answer. Try it in Google translation? [See link below]:
https://eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2115/32884/1/6_p1-24.pdf

And that I did!

I simply inserted Dr Kato's whole piece (all in Japanese), part by part, into Google Translate and altered it all into English, and even if a lot of it turned out as pure nonsense (large chunks of it makes absolutely no sense at all), but, all in all, one can get a grip on the larger picture, and from that Paper alone, I think I might be a bit more daring than my dear Japanese friend, maybe even somewhat arbitrary, in suggesting that this Eponym actually does honour the following guy.

At least I think it's fair to say:

... that it probably, or even most likely (though not with a 100% certainty!) does commemorate the local Japanese interpreter and translator Gennosuke Noguchi [野口源之助] (1844–fl.1886/7), whose Death year seems all unknown (at least to Dr Kato, in the paper above, from 2008).

This guy was born 2nd of May 1844, at "54, Ouramachi", in Nagasaki (as well as in Nagasaki Prefecture), on Kyushu (Kyūshū), as the second Son to Mr (Ronō alt. Ronô, or Ronó/Ronou) Komori, ... and that's just about all we seem to know about his Childhood, and even less, simply nothing about his Youth, until he suddenly turns up, as an adult, in Yokohama, in April 1868.

[Apparently, his Birth name was "Shinichi Mina", but this was abandoned by, and replaced with; Gennosuke Noguchi, way before he started his professional career (and as such started to leave marks in various different, bureaucratic documents), and even more important, way, way before he had any contacts what-so-ever with Westerns naturalist (and as such this very first "birth name" is "all irrelevant", at least in a Natural History context/view, according to Mr Osawa. Also note, that Gennosuke Noguchi's Birth Place, "Ouramachi" is an exact Place/location which today is lost, no longer possible to trace, from contemporary records, into an exact location in/on any of today's maps of Nagasaki]

Either way, this was a guy who (as an adult) knew several 'Western' naturalists, incl. for example/s; the two Ornithologist and Naturalists; Captain T. W. Blakiston [Thomas Wright Blakiston (1832–1892)1], and H. Pryer [Henry (James Stovin) Pryer (1850–1888)2], both famous and well-known for their ornithological work in Japan, as well as acclaimed Entomologists like; H. W. Bates [Henry Walter Bates (1825–1892)3] and G. Lewis [George Lewis (1839–1926)4].

Though I wouldn't say that Seebohm's naming of this Woodpecker (clearly on request by Pryer himself) necessarily was a commemoration for Mr Noguchi as a collector, (i.e. in the sole/main capacity as a collector of Bird specimens, at least not of this particular Bird/type, even if it sure could have been, or not), but I would think it was (most likely) just an honour given to a guy, who made the Japanese ways, and Life in Japan, in general, a bit easier for quite a few of those 'Western' naturalist (as well as their collecting of Natural History specimens, of course), while they were visiting 'his' country Japan. He certainly made things far, far easier for Mr Pryer, who seems to have collected the very Type of this Woodpecker himself (see BNHM's type collection, link above).

This guy (most likely "our guy"); Gennosuke Noguchi, worked mainly as translator and interpreter, but also as a Teacher (in English), Jurist/Legal official, surveyor, negotiator, a (minor) "shogunate bureaucrat", civil servant/official (administrator), possibly also as a Guide (and Legal adviser), at times (from 1868 until 1880) he worked for the Hokkaidō Development Commission (開拓使, Kaitakushi – where he also tried/learned new, modern 'Western' skills like Photography). The same Mr Noguchi equally served during some Waterway surveys, and was as well in service during (and observing) the spectacular Transit of Venus in 1882, and he's as well known to have helped various Naturalist with different customs clearances (of whatever imported/exported goods, and specimens, one might assume), also with subscriptions to English newspapers, and requests for advertisements in ditto newspapers, mediating between local Authorities and various 'foreigners and foreign companies', etc., etc. ...

Today, I assume, we would call him; a local 'helper' (for hire), an obtainable "helping hand', or even (simply) a 'fixer'! THE guy who made things actually possible, feasible, or just doable.

Thus, and thereby, I guess it ought to be the same guy (in Japanese Wikipedia), here, where he's equally claimed to have worked, as a Professor, at the Tokyo School of Agriculture and Forestry, 1886-1887 [a claim, not mentioned by Dr Kato, at least not in my (somewhat freaky) Google translate version of his Paper].

Though, after that ... he simply vanished (the latter also confirmed by my friend Mr. Osawa, who told me he's: "gone after 1887", and he also explained that Noguchi was an "English Professor", in that certain School/University in Tokyo; ... "nothing else", "no other Professor").

Either way, also (maybe) noteworthy; in the same Paper Dr Kato also speculates that the two Ground beetles (both in Coleoptera, Carabidae) described in 1873, by H. W. Bates [i.e. the same Henry Walter Bates, as above]; (Chlaenius) Lithochlaenius noguchii BATES 1873 (here), as "C. [Callistomimus] Noguchii", as well as today's Pterostichus noguchii BATES 1873 (on pp.286–287), as "Pt. [Pterostichus] (Lyperus) Noguchii", probably (equally; most likely) also named after the same Noguchi (even if in the former case, clearly dedicated to "Noguchi", in the out-spoken capacity as a collector):
Named after Noguchi, Mr. Lewis's meritorious Japanese collector

If he equally ever collected any Birds seems all unknown. But one might suspect that helping out collecting beetles would be a task much easier done (compared to catching/shooting Birds) for any 'civilian' by-stander, whenever time allowed ... who knows?

However, that's all.

Gennosuke Noguchi, 1872. png.png
Gennosuke Noguchi. Photo taken in Tokyo 1872

And, as always; don't hesitate to prove otherwise, alt. me (or us) simply just wrong.

In any case: Enjoy!

Björn

PS. He's not to confuse with the Japanese collector 野口貞美 ("Noguchi Sadami" – translation confirmed by Mr Osawa), alt. in Western order: "Sadami Noguchi", who collected for Momyiama, in Micronesia (as of here, but that's far later, in the late 1930's).


1 Commemorated in (for example): Blakiston's Fish-Owl Ketupa/Bubo blakistoni SEEBOHM 1884 (OD here).
2Commemorated in (for example): Marsh Grassbird Megalurus/Locustella pryeri SEEBOHM 1884 (OD, in the same Ibis paper, two pages earlier).
3Commemorated in the (far less conspicuous, and far less attracted) subspecies of the Cinnamon-browed Melidectes Melidectes ochromelas batesi (Richard Bowdler) SHARPE 1886 (here), as "Melirrhophetes batesi" (even if not a Japanese bird, but from New Guinea), without any dedication, nor explanation, by the text (surrounding the very short description) itself it's easy to believe that it ought to have been a "forbesi"!?!), but see Gould and Sharpe's The birds of New Guinea and the adjacent Papuan islands: including many new species recently discovered in Australia, vol. III (here); for the same "Bates's Honey-eater", ... signed "[R. B. S.]"
4Mr Lewis himself had to settle, and be content, with Beetles (in Coleoptera, Insecta) like, for example, "Niposoma lewisi" (Marseul, 1873) :rolleyes:
 
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Gennosuke Noguchi — Part II
Shortly after having delivered the above response, Mr Osawa once again turned up outside my Studio, this time he'd also compiled a brief Summary about the "plausible" Mr Noguchi, (in my mind the most likely dedicatee in/of the noguchii Woodpecker), see below:

A biographic sketch of Mr Gennosuke Noguchi [野口源之助] (pronunciation: Gen-no-suke ...), born 1844. Death unknown.

He was born 2nd of May 1844, at "54, Ouramachi" (a today Lost place), in Nagasaki (in Nagasaki Prefecture), as the second Son to Mr R. Komori. In 1868 Gennosuke Noguchi went to Yokohama, worked as interpreter in the customs and the court, then became interpreter under the direct control of Kanagawa prefecture.

1871 he as interpreter went aboard HMS Silvia that measured waterway along Hokkaido’s coast but also took pictures. (We could see that Mr Noguchi, public servant, worked not only as interpreter but also in many fields.) 1873 after resigning public servant in Kanagawa, he was appointed to Hokkaido Development Commission as official and interpreter, he handled orders from foreign countries and worked as photographer too. In the Commission’s service office in Tokyo, he negotiated foreigners and foreign companies.

Note: In the Hokkaido Development Commission many foreigners worked for Japanese government, mostly from USA and England (or UK). Hokkaido was undeveloped island in great deal then. The reclamation of Hokkaido was an urgent need to counter Russia’s southward expansion.

In 1882 the Commission was abolished. In same year he become public servant in Hakodate prefecture and dealt with foreigners. When the English course was opened in Hakodate Normal College he was called to teacher, after that in 1886 to1887 he was unregular employee professor in the University of Agriculture and Forestry of Tokyo.

During in Hakodate period, he translated joint work with MR Pryer “Catalogue of the Birds of Japan” into Japanese and published “Birds of Prey of Japan” (The book belongs to Hakodate municipal museum. I don’t know if this publishing had any commercial purpose or only made his studies public. Was he ornithologist?)

There was no further information about him since then. Not a single note, memory, picture we could trace him was left. He must have lived a very quiet life. But one thing is sure that he had met many foreign naturalists and helped them including MR Pryer on many occasions. His schooling was too unknown. How he learned or studied English?


N.O.

/B
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To be continued

[with other, different Japanese eponyms ... the next weekend (I hope)]​
 
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Just as as I was not sure if he is Japanaese but it seems. Must be somewhere to find in Annotationes / ornithologiae orientalis 1, p. 26

The Eponym Dictionary of Birds
Japanese Tit ssp. Parus major makii Momiyama, 1927 NCR [JS Parus minor commixtus]
S. Maki (DNF) collected the holotype (1920) on Formosa (Taiwan).
The Key to Scientific Names
S. Maki (fl. 1920) Japanese collector (syn. Parus major commixtus).

So I try to avoid to disturb this japanease thread.
 
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牧茂市郎, alt. 牧茂一郎, 1886-1959, was a Japanese herpetologist, who was in Taiwan in the 1920s, working in the colonial administration. He wrote this in 1931-33, in which he described several new snake taxa, some of them from Taiwan. He also collected birds in Taiwan, as evidenced by this.
His name is usually romanized into Moichirō Maki; however, 茂市郎 can also be rendered as Shigeichirō, hence I feel there is still a reasonable chance that "S. Maki" may be him.

Edit - Starting from Mark's link above, Google suggests that p. 27 of the work has the following:
本新亜種名は豪濁産鳥類調査に多大の貢献ありし牧茂市郎氏の名塾の篤め斯く命名せり。
...which is obviously a dedication of the new subspecies to a Mr. 牧茂市郎, albeit the OCR'd text doesn't seem fully intelligible to Google Translate (hence is probably imperfect) and this part of the text doesn't appear in snippets (hence I cannot check the real thing). (To start with, I suspect that "豪濁" should be 臺湾 = Taiwan.)
 
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Guys, Mr Maki was/is one of the guys in/on James's short list, commemorated in ...

makii as in:
the invalid "Parus major makii"* MOMIYAMA 1927 (see attached excerpts, of relevant parts, in English)

Jobling's MS (November 2020):
S. Maki (fl. 1920) collector ...

Nobuhiko Osawa in litt. (March 2021):
I couldn’t find any data about him.

Looks like Laurent clearly was more successful!

Well done! (y)

I will ask Mr Osawa (next time I meet him) if he agrees to the conclusions made ...

Björn


*Today (I assume) a synonym of the Great Tit ssp. Parus major/minor commixtus SWINHOE 1868, even if according to Kuroda, 1932 (here) of P. m."fohkienensis" LA TOUCHE 1923.
 

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And finally, for anyone interested, I can also inform you all, that Mr Osawa (as well) did try to find out more about the (close to) all unexplained eponyms kunikyonis (as of below), but with little success ...

kunikyonis as in:
• the invalid "Poliocephalus ruficollis kunikyonis"* KURODA 1927 [Note, the OD itself unseen = The Ibis 1927 (Ser.12, Vol. 3., No. 4), p.722], but see the Author (Auctor) Kuroda himself, in this/his somewhat later piece, from 1932.

Jobling's MS (November 2020):
K. Kunikyo (fl. 1926) collector ...

Nobuhiko Osawa in litt. (March 2021):
I couldn’t find any data about him.

However, this was the last one of the eight Eponyms in James's short list, of (earlier far lesser known) Japanese eponyms. All in all, Mr Osawa managed to add info on six of them, a lot on some, bits and pieces on others – quite an achievement, worthy of praise!

If anyone else could find anything also on Mr K. Kunikyo (alt. "K. Kunikyô", as it's written in Kuroda's paper above), I assume James (Jobling) would appreciate it, as well.

And, well ... that's about it (at least for now), regarding Japanese eponyms.

See you all elsewhere, in other threads and topics.

Björn

PS. If Mr Osawa will turn up with even more info (on other Japanese eponyms) is unknown to me, actually there are a few other eponyms that might need a check up, or two. We'll see ... I know that he found it both difficult and tricky while he was dealing with the eight above (as well as fun, he added), but I think he might need a brake right now. He´s a treasured resource (closing in on his 80th Birthday), not to be stressed up, or jaded (more than necessary). ;)


*Today a synonym of the East Asian ssp. (of Little Grebe) Tachybaptus ruficollis poggei REICHENOW 1902, as "Colymbus nigricans poggei" (here, in text)
 
One more (simply cleaning my desk) ...

I can also inform you all, that Mr Osawa, as well, confirm and agree on the dedicatee and commemoration of Acrocephalus (luscinius) nijoi YAMASHINA 1940, a bird/Eponym that Melanie asked about in November last year, in thread Acrocephalus etymology (post #26, here), all in all, ending up with the (accurate and) correct Baron Nijo (alt. Nijō), in #40.

The only thing Mr Osawa could add, on top of what we'd already found in that thread, was an exact Death date, for the dedicatee in:

nijoi as in:
• the probably extinct (not seen since 1995) Aguiguan/Aguijan Reed Warbler Acrocephalus (luscinius) nijoi YAMASHINA 1940, as "Conopoderas luscinia nijoi"

... earlier, in the dear old HBW Alive Key, of last year, as well as in the (not yet edited/editable) "new" Key to Scientific Names, only known as:
Baron T. Nijo (fl. 1940) Japanese collector, naturalist ...

Nobuhiko Osawa in litt. (March 2021):
His full name is Toyomoto Nijo [二条豊基] 19091944 (killed in WWII, 3rd of August, 1944).

That's it, at last; Japanese Eponyms (at least for a while) ... over and out!

/B
 
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• the invalid "Poliocephalus ruficollis kunikyonis"* KURODA 1927 [Note, the OD itself unseen = The Ibis 1927 (Ser.12, Vol. 3., No. 4), p.722], but see the Author (Auctor) Kuroda himself, in this/his somewhat later piece, from 1932.
From the OD itself:
Type.—♀ ad. in breeding-plumage, in N. Kuroda coll., no. 10660. Minami-Daitōjima, Borodino Islands, Okinawa Group, Middle Riu Kiu Islands, 23.v.1926. K. Kunikyo coll.
Named in honour of Mr. K. Kunikyo of Minami-Daitōjima, who has kindly sent me a series of the birds for study.
This tells us at least precisely where Mr. K. Kunikyo was from.


This is a paper in Japanese by Kuroda, published in 1926 in Tōri (鳥 -- now Jap. J. Ornithol.). It is titled "琉球孤島産鳥類の小採集物に就て", which means "On a small collection of birds from the Ryukyu islands". On the second page, in the comments about a specimen of Corvus coronoides japonensis from Minami-Daitōjima marked "Kunikyō coll.", we find:
古くは甚だ多かった由であるが被害ある為め濫殺したとのことで現今 は甚だ稀れになりしと國京國平氏の通知があった。
...which appears to mean, more or less: "There was a notice from Mr. Kunihira Kunikyo, that there was a lot of them in the old days, but it is now very rare because it was exterminated because of the damage."

This is another paper by Kuroda, published in 1932 in the same journal, titled "大東列島より初めて知らるる鳥類", which Google translates as "Birds known for the first time from the Daitō Islands". The text starts with:
次に掲げる三種の鳥類は沖縄県附属大東列島南大東島(沖縄島より東約二〇〇浬にあり)の国京国平氏から贈られたも [...]
...which means, approximately: "The following three species of birds were donated by Mr. Kunihira Kunikyo of Minami-Daitōjima (located about 200 nautical miles east of Okinawa Island), Daitō Islands, Okinawa Prefecture [...]".

So, this must be his full name, I think. (The Japanese "国京国平", at least; I'm not fully sure there are no other possible romanizations for 国平. But "Kunihira" definitely exists as a male given name, and 国平 seems to be the most frequent way to write it in kanji.) It would be great to know Mr Osawa's opinion about this too, however.
(The same name is also encountered in a couple of other documents in Japanese dealing with birds from this area.)

No idea how to find his dates.
 
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Namiye (1854-1918) was an eminent Japanese naturalist. My question is, what is his most used first name? Motokishi, Motokoshi or Motoyoshi?
 
Larvivora komadori namiyei (Stejneger, 1887) OD here
Dendrocopos leucotos namiyei (Stejneger, 1886) OD here
Hirundo tahitica namiyei (Stejneger, 1887) OD here
Poecile varius namiyei Kuroda, 1918 OD 316 (japanese), 322 (english)
Garrulus glandarius namiyei Kuroda, 1922 OD here
Emberiza cioides namiyei Momiyama, 1923 Tori 3(14) p. 210 (maybe here??)


The Eponym Dictionary of Birds claims:
Ryukyu Robin ssp. Erithacus komadori namiyei Stejneger, 1886
White-backed Woodpecker ssp. Dendrocopos leucotos namiyei Stejneger, 1886
Pacific Swallow ssp. Hirundotahitica namiyei Stejneger, 1887
Varied Tit ssp. Poecile varius namiyei Kuroda, 1918
Eurasian Jay ssp. Garrulus glandarius namiyei Kuroda, 1922 NCR [JS Garrulus glandarius japonicus]
Meadow Bunting ssp. Emberiza cioides namiyei Momiyama, 1923 NCR [JS Emberiza cioides ciopsis]
Motoyoshi Namiye (1854–1918) was a Japanese naturalist and herpetologist. He was a member of the Faculty of Zoology at the Tokyo Educational Museum, and a Corresponding Fellow of the AOU. Stejneger wrote a report on a collection of birds Namiye had made in the Riu Kiu Islands (1886). He wrote 'Oviposition of a blind snake from Okinawa' (1912). He is remembered in the names of other taxa, including a fish and an amphibian.

The Key to Scientific Names
Motoyoshi Namiye (1854-1918) Japanese zoologist, herpetologist, collector (subsp. Dendrocopos leucotos, syn. Emberiza cioides ciopsis, syn. Garrulus glandarius japonicus, subsp. Hirundo javanica, Larvivora, subsp. Sittiparus varius).
 
Kraig Adler (Contributions to Herpetology, 2007) claims Motoyoshi is the romanized transcription of Motokichi. So isn't it better to use the non-romanized transcription Namiye Motokichi?
 
Emberiza cioides namiyei Momiyama, 1923 Tori 3(14) p. 210 (maybe here??)
here.
(p. 210 is "二一〇", here written vertically in the right margin. The volume is quite hard to navigate, because the pages within each issue are ordered in the Japanese way, but the issues within the volume are ordered in the Western way...)
Alt. here.

Kraig Adler (Contributions to Herpetology, 2007) claims Motoyoshi is the romanized transcription of Motokichi. So isn't it better to use the non-romanized transcription Namiye Motokichi?
Romanized means transcribed into the Latin alphabet, which applies to both Motoyoshi and Motokichi, hence I'm not too sure what Kraig Adler means exactly.

In kanji, he was "波江元吉".
"元吉" can be read (and romanized) in a number of different ways, which include "Motoyoshi" and "Motokichi" (as well as, at least, "Motoyori" and "Genkichi").
Here, though, his Japanese Wikipedia page also gives his name in hiragana (a syllabary alphabet), as "なみえ もとよし", which is na-mi-e mo-to-yo-shi (and not "なみえもときち", which would be na-mi-e mo-to-ki-chi).
 
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Polyplectron katsumatae Rothschild, 1906 OD here
Named in honour of the collector, Mr. Katsumata, of Japan.
Cissa hypoleuca katsumatae Rothschild, 1903 OD here
Katsumata Coll.
Named in honour of its discoverer.

Maybe it is also possible to find his life dates?

The Eponym Dictionary of Birds claims:
Hainan Peacock Pheasant Polyplectron katsumatae Rothschild, 1906
Indochinese Green Magpie ssp. Cissa hypoleuca katsumatae Rothschild, 1903
Zensaku Katsumata (DNF) was a Japanese pharmacist who collected birds on Hainan (1902–1903) for Alan Owston (q.v.), the Yokohama dealer who supplied them to Lord Rothschild (q.v.).

The Key to Scientific Names
Zensaku Katsumata (fl. 1903) Japanese pharmacist, collector on Hainan (subsp. Cissa hypoleuca, Polyplectron).

Apart from the missing life dates I am wondering why according here Zensaku Ishida is a synonym name? He may have published here but I am not able to read what 勝間田善作 : 海南島の開発者 (but should be a book about Development of Hainan Island).
 
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