Some "unseen" descriptions … now seen! (3 Viewers)

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Succé, gaura … and Mr. Poliński

Here´s two other of James's "unseen" ones … and a possible amendment:

● succe
… in the invalid "A. [Anas] Succé" a k a "Le Canard succé" BONNATERRE 1791 (here), based on von Jacquin's Beyträge zur Geschichte der Vögel, p. 5 and its "Succé") (here) [syn. Dendrocygna arborea LINNAEUS 1758].

Also noted in the HBWAlive Key entry for jacquini/jacquinii (here).


● gaura
… in the invalid "Emberiza gaura" FORSTER 1795 (in Latham and Davies's Faunula Indica 1795), here (page 9), based on Latham's Supplement to the General Synopsis of Birds 1787 (here) [syn. … of what?].

However; enjoy!

And Good luck solving them.

Björn

PS. A minor observation, possibly a simple typo; When flipping through the 1927 issue of Prace Zoologiczne Polskiego Państwowego Muzeum Przyrodniczego / Annales Zoologici Musei Polonici Historiae Naturalis 6 looking for the OD of "Dryobates minor lönnbergi" (found it!) I happened to notice a bird by the name "polińskii".

● polinskii
This name (or spelling) is not listed in today's HBWAlive Key, but instead as: "polinksii".

The original spelling, as far as I can tell (without having seen the OD!), was according to Sztolcman himself (& Domaniewski, in the above mentioned journal of 1927), described as: "Oryzoborus polińskii" SZTOLCMAN 1926. See attached jpg. [syn. (Sporophila) Oryzoborus angolensis LINNAEUS 1766]
= most likely the Polish zoologist and malacologist Władysław Karol Poliński (1885–1930) … or?

/B
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[mb1848]

● gaura
… in the invalid "Emberiza gaura" FORSTER 1795 (in Latham and Davies's Faunula Indica 1795), here (page 9), based on Latham's Supplement to the General Synopsis of Birds 1787 (here) [syn. … of what?].
Latham's Guar Bunting, in 1790 becomes Emberiza asiatica.
https://books.google.com/books?id=UPZAAAAAcAAJ&dq=Impey+Bunting&source=gbs_navlinks_s .
E. asiatica is called the same as E. luteola Sparrman 1789. Then E. luteola is now called E. bruniceps Brandt 1841. Red-headed Bunting

 

[mb1848]

● succe
… in the invalid "A. [Anas] Succé" a k a "Le Canard succé" BONNATERRE 1791 (here), based on von Jacquin's Beyträge zur Geschichte der Vögel, p. 5 and its "Succé") (here) [syn. Dendrocygna arborea LINNAEUS 1758].

Also noted in the HBWAlive Key entry for jacquini/jacquinii (here).
In the Jacquin publication he says that the inhabitants call it Succe. This is Santo Domingo. So it could be a Taino word but looks French with that accent? But Santo Domingo was Spanish.

 

[mb1848]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...3gDT2hTkX0wgz8F1A&sig2=zw7OKp6F9oA3OAHsiAQH8A .
Władysław Karol Poliński mentioned in here as describing molluscs of the collector of Sztolcman's birds.
Original spelling: http://books.google.com/books?id=Z-FEAAAAYAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=Oryzoborus+polinskii .
This article states that Hellmayr in 1938 corrected the spelling of polińskii but all I can see is he took off the accent over the n.
http://www.nm.cz/download/pm/zoo/mlikovsky_lit/229 - 2009 - Avian types in MIZ-3.pdf .

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Thanks Mark!

So polińskii it is, was!

In the Jacquin publication he says that the inhabitants call it Succe. So it could be a Taino word but looks French with that accent? But Santo Domingo was Spanish.

I guess it all boils down to interpretation, how the Austrian Freiherr von Jacquin interpreted the sound of that local name (that could be Taino, Spanish etc.). I doubt he ever saw it written. I think French is out of the picture as Bonaterre simply repeated von Jacquin's (German) "Succé".

And I agree, that, it sure looks like the "Gaur bunting" is an Emberiza. Why the HBWAlive Key is doubtful keeping the gaura as "(unident.; Estrildidae?)" is unkown to me.

If relevant, according to the Wikipedia entry for the Gaur or "Indian bison" (Bos gaurus) the "Sanskrit word गौर gaura means white, yellowish, reddish [...] The Hindi word गौर gaur means fair-skinned, fair, white" ...!? As in pale, I guess?
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[James Jobling]

Gaur Bunting. In HBWAlive Key I have "(unident.; Estrildidae?)" because "Bill pale rose-colour ...legs pale blue" fits no Palaearctic bunting. The bill colour is more of an estrildid feature, altho' I can't find one that fits exactly. Since the name came via Lady Impey it may have been a caged bird or even a hybrid.

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Good reply, James!
Make sence (I forgot to think like a Bird watcher!) ... maybe gaura isn´t any of today's Emberiza after all!

I can´t think of any "Bunting" with those charachers.

Or does anyone know any species, in any plumage, sex or age, that fits: "Size small : length four inches and a half. Bill pale rose-colour : head, neck, back, breast, and belly, cinereous, palest beneath : wings and tail brown, with paler edges : legs pale blue." ... ?

It´s apparenty a truly small bird [ca. 11,3 cm!], smaller than the little bunting Emberiza pusilla.

/B

PS. Maybe the answer is hidden somewhere in Lady Impey’s Indian Bird Paintings? As all three of her Painters were Hindus I think a Hindi etymology might be the most plausible.
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[Björn Bergenholtz]

Dr. Poliński

Oryzoborus polińskii SZTOLCMAN 1926 … OD, in full (here), p.230-231. Also see attached excerpts.

"Je dédie cette espèce au dr. Ladislas Poliński du Musée Polonais d’Histoire Naturelle à Varsovie. Dr. Poliński s’est fait connaître dans le monde scientifique par ses excellents travaux sur l’anatomie et la systématique des Mollusques."

Surely that must be the Polish zoologist and malacologist Władysław Karol Poliński (1885–1930), "Ladislas" simply being the French version of his First name.
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[Björn Bergenholtz]

Demelioteucus ... ?

And James, could this possibly be the "diagnosis unseen" of "Demelioteucus", from Boletin de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias en Córdoba (República Argentina) 10, 1887, p.399 (here) … ?

If so not much help regarding the etymolog I fear

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[Taphrospilus]

Gaur Bunting

If it is really Lathams Gaur Bunting here he wrote:

Inhabits the East Indies, and is called Gaur.-Lady Impey

My interpretation (but I might be wrong) people of East Indies call the bird Gaur.

And maybe here of help, where it is written????

Gaur, Gar. (Bot.) Nomi arabi, secondo il Dalechampio, del lauro comune, citati dal Mattioli come identici conquello de rusco o puhnitopo, ruscus aculeata. (J.)

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Martin,
Your first link (in Post 90) is already found in Post No. 81 and I don´t get the reason for posting it again. Or am I missing something?

And I doubt the Italian (alt. Latin) botanical name Gaur [of Arabic origin], and the following Generic Gaura, is of any relevance when dealing with Latham's (i.e. Lady Impey's) English interpretation of what's most likely a local Hindi name.

But; who knows? I guess every contribution, whatever small or large, is welcome trying to solve the etymology of the gaura and the Gaur (Bunting).

Cheers!
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[Taphrospilus]

:storm:Sorry I just read Marks comment and couldn't find there the link. I did not realize that you have provided the link already one post earlier.

As I do not understand italien I am not even sure what they wrote about this arbic name. Just thought if anyone knows italian if there might be something mentioned e.g. like a colour. But even the bad google translation do not indicate anything like a colour or anything similar. :storm:

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

No worries, Martin!

Like I wrote; every contribution, whatever small or large, is welcome trying to solve the etymology of the gaura and the Gaur (Bunting).

 

[mb1848]

"Bill pale rose-colour ...legs pale blue" Wow I really missed that.
" it may have been a caged bird" Encyclopaedia Londinensis states Emberiza asiatica Guar Bunting ...was brought into England by Lady Impey. Sounds like Latham was looking at a live bird.

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Here´s yet another one of James's unseen OD's … (and a possible typo).

dinghani ("dinghana")
● … in the invalid "Cheltusia [sic] dinghani" VERREAUX & VERREAUX 1855 (OD, here) [syn. Hoplopterus/Vanellus sp. ? cf. Chettusia].

It´s all in French (and Latin) of which I understand very little. Of its etymology I know absolutely nothing.

Enjoy and Good luck solving it!

Björn
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[James Jobling]

dinghani. I had always assumed this bird was named for the Zulu king; thanks to the untiring efforts of BB, and having read the OD, I am now sure. See re-edited HBWAlive Key.

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

James,
I think you can erase the question mark regarding its synonymity. It seems like the "dinghani" really is today's hard-to-place Senegal lapwing, (Hoplopterus) Stephanybix/Vanellus lugubris LESSON 1826

See link here, p. 57.

Or?

PS. Also note the mispelled version "dinghami"

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Russel(l)-iana?

russeliana
… and the "dedication unseen" of the invalid "Motacilla russeliana" FORSTER 1781 [i.e. (PENNANT in ?) Forster, Johann Reinhold: Indische Zoologie oder systematische Beschreibungen seltener und unbekannter Thiere aus Indien: mit 15 illuminirten Kupfertafeln erläutert ; Nebst einer kurzen vorläufigen Abhandlung über den Umfang von Indien und die Beschaffenheit des Klima, des Bodens und des Meeres daselbst, und einem Anhange, darin ein kurzes Verzeichniß der Thiere in Indien mitgetheilt wird, Halle 1781]* … here!

Not much of any "dedication" I fear!

I haven´t got a clue what Russel (alt. Russell) or whatever else he was aiming at.

In any case I´m not all convinced that we´re looking for the Scottish herpetologist Patrick Russell (as have been claimed, even if, that I have to admit, I haven´t looked any deeper into it) since he (at least according to Wikipedia, here) apparently hadn´t arrived in India when Forster published the name!? But who knows?

However; good luck solving it!

Björn

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*More on the Indische Zoologie/Zoologia Indica/Indian Zoology, here.
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[mb1848]

Patrick Russell's brother Claud Russell worked for the East Indian Company and was in Madras since 1752. His half brother was Alexander Russell M. D. FRS who wrote the Natural History of Aleppo.

 

[Taphrospilus]

Could it be that russeliana is dedicated to William Russell, Lord Russell? I ask as Pennant wrote about Execution of Lord Russel.