Tyto alba zottae (1 Viewer)

[Taphrospilus]

Not really much more than in The Eponym Dictionary of Birds on Tyto alba zottae . I havent's seen OD in


Kelso, Leon Hugh, Two New Owls from South America Biological Leaflet, no. 9

His obituary here p. 104

Ángel Zotta el 25 de mayo de 1951 en esta capital. Con la desaparición de don Ángel Zotta ha perdido el Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales y nuestra Asociación, a una de sus figuras más laboriosas y bien dispuestas. Nacido en Italia había llegado al país a muy temprana edad y casi simultáneamente se empleó en el entonces Museo Nacional de Buenos Aires, durante la dirección del doctor Berg. Paralelamente a las funciones que desempeñaba en la sección Ornitología — Conservador y destacado taxidermista— realizó tareas en la sección Entomología. El Hornero recogió en sus páginas, en diversas oportunidades, sus interesantes observaciones y trabajos.

Anyone here knows his middle name and when he was born in Italy?

 

[James Jobling]

Ángel Rafael Zotta (d. 1951)

 

[Brian J Small]

Were there two Angel Rafael Zottas?

From page 34

In the same way, it is worth distinguishing the industrious and well-disposed presence
of Mr. Ángel Zotta, as a taxidermist, traveler and collector, who
contributed a considerable sum of ornithological material and equally
as preparer of how many copies of birds will enter the Museum as
donation. Zotta entered the Museum during Berg's tenure,
serving as a technician in the entomological collection, but more
Later, in 1920, he collaborated in the maintenance of collections of birds
assisting Dr. Dabbene.

from http://bibliotecafepai.fepai.org.ar/Actas/HistoriaCiencia/ActasHCXIII.pdf

Then lower on same page:-

In 1931, Mr. Ángel Rafael took charge of the collections.
Zotta, son of the aforementioned taxidermist, who was the author of
the "Systematic List of Argentine Birds", published progressively
in the magazine El Hornero and later published separately in 1944. This list
and bird distribution was made entirely on the basis of the
existing collections at the time.

B

 

[Taphrospilus]

Were there two Angel Rafael Zottas?

Valid question.

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Señor Zotta X 2

OD unseen (also by me), but true, there seems to be two of them (but only one "Rafael", I assume):

El Sr. Angel R. Zotta se incorporó muy joven al Museo, en 1928, ...

[from here, note; "Angel R. Zotta (hijo)", on p.521, versus "Angel Zotta (padre)" (on p.519)]

Also see here (all in Spanish).

If of any help?

/B

PS. Which one of them; Ángel Zotta vs Ángel (Rafael) Zotta, who died in ("25 de mayo de") 1951? I haven't got a clue.
..

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Which señor Zotta died in 1951?

Maybe of some help finding his/their years ... (my blue):

La Ornitología tuvo sus inicios con G. Burmeister y mas tarde con Eduardo Ladislao Holmberg que publicó el Primer tratado de Aves de Argentina pero tuvo un mayor impulso con la llegada del primer italiano doctorado en la Universidad de Génova, Roberto Dabbene que fue el primer gradua- do universitario que se incorporó alrededor del 1900 en nuestro museo. Dabbene junto con otros ornitólogos aficionados y científicos como Ángel Gallardo y E. Holmberg fundaron la Asociación Ornitológica del Plata en 1916 que editaba la conocida Revis- ta El Hornero. Al fallecer en 1938 la jefatura de la Sección Ornitología fue ejercida por Ángel R. Zotta que estudiaba en el Profesorado de Ciencias Naturales y la doctora María Pergolani encargada de las colecciones. Trabajaban en el área muchos aficionados, colaboradores, naturalistas viajeros y colec- cionistas como Juan Daguerre.

Google Translate: Ornithology had its beginnings with G. Burmeister and later with Eduardo Ladislao Holmberg who published the First Treaty of Birds of Argentina but had a greater impulse with the arrival of the first Italian doctorate at the University of Genoa, Roberto Dabbene who was the first graduate - University do that was incorporated around 1900 in our museum. Dabbene, together with other amateur and scientific ornithologists such as Ángel Gallardo and E. Holmberg founded the Ornithological Association of Plata in 1916, which edited the well-known magazine El Hornero. Upon his death in 1938, the head of the Ornithology Section was exercised by Ángel R. Zotta who was studying at the Natural Sciences Professorship and Dr. María Pergolani in charge of the collections. Many amateurs, collaborators, traveling naturalists and collectors such as Juan Daguerre worked in the area.

[from here]​

Regarding the alleged Italian connection/origin (of Senior), the following quote/s could point towards Sicily ... ? Or not?

A fines de noviembre de ese mismo año el señor Ángel Zotta, preparador de entomología del museo, halló en Palermo algunas obreras que trajo vivas al museo.

[here, from 1915]​

He conservado tres meses en un nido artificial una colonia de estas hormigas encontradas por Zotta el 15 de octobre de 1912 en un sauce con el tronco podrido, en Palermo.

[here, from an unknown year]​

Or is this simply the barrio (or neighborhood) Palermo, in the Northern parts of today's Buenos Aires ... ?!? Probably so.


A more substantial piece in the puzzle would be this Lista de empleados del Museo de Historia Natural y de votantes durante el año 1909:

[...]
Ángel Zotta
31 años soltero Italiano, 1º Celador Hotel Inmigrantes Febrero 1897 20 de Diciembre 1897; 2º Ayudante preparador del M.N. 1º de enero 1906
[...]

If one of them (most likely Senior) was born, in about 1878, in Italy his (original) name could have been Angelo (?) ... either way, as Senior seem to have started his Work at the Museo Nacional in 1906, and Junior in 1928, they clearly must have been two guys by the name/s Ángel Zotta.

At this point I'd say; finding the OD must be the first priority. Without having seen the OD the dedicatee himself (Father or Son) seems pretty hard to pin-point (and before we've seen it, and know whom to look for, it seems a bit useless to search for just either one of them) ...

Any trace of Kelso's: "Two New Owls from South America Biological Leaflet, no. 9" (apparently from "1938", unpaginated). Note that Cuello list it as: "1937 ... Biol. Leaflet, No. 8" ... (here)?

Also see the following list of references:

Kelso, Leon. 21 April 1938. "Two New Owls From South America [Including Tyto alba subandeana and T. alba zottae, subsp. nov.]." Biological Leaflet, no. 9: 1.

[from here, scroll down, or search for zottae]​

Well, that's it (on my behalf), I cannot reach any further.

Good luck finding it (and him/them).

Björn

PS. No pdf in the digital archive of the Global Owl Project (here), i.e. for subandeana (zottae is not listed there at all).

 

[Taphrospilus]

The OD is definitely not the way to find the correct Zotta. Mabe by the type as Kelso wrote:

Type.-Adult female, U.S. National Museum (number not available) Cordillera de Rio Chico, Patagonia.

But this is difficult enough.

But see here p. 63

Una de ellas, Tyto alba zottae que ha tenido la gentileza de dedicarme, se diferencia de Tyto alba tuidara J. E. Gray por tener el ala más corta, (menos de 328 mm.) en ambos sexos; esas diferencias las hemos comprobado en ejemplares de Chile y Argentina (Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, Córdoba, Buenos Aires, La Pampa).

And this would be:

ANGEL R. ZOTTA
ENCARGADO DE LAS COLECCIONES ORNITOLÓGICAS DEL MUSEO ARGENTINO DE CIENCIAS NATURALES, BUENOS AIRES

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Martin have found, and received (helped by the Museum Librarian at Field Museum, Chicago) a copy of Kelso's Biological Leaflet No. 9; ("Issued April 21, 1938"): "New Owls from South America". It's one single page (incl. Tyto alba zottae, and Tyto alba subandeana) ... *

Well done, and thanks for sharing! :t:

Though (as hinted at/indicated, in post #7), not a word, nothing, about any Señor Zotta.

However, in my mind; Angel R. Zotta's own words (from 1938) must be considered as confirmation enough, that he's the dedicatee, I doubt he would have dared to put such an assertion in printing if otherwise.

[Even if we, this far (as far as I can tell) haven't seen any clear evidence pointing either way, of which Zotta it was (Senior or Junior), that died in 1951].

Keep digging!

/B

________________________________
*Due to copyright rules I cannot post it here in full.
--

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

... Mabe by the type ...

Deignan's Type Specimens of Birds in the United States National Museum (1961), here (takes a while to download/open, 44,7MB); Tyto alba zottae on p.139, or see attached excerpt (no Zotta mentioned).

/B
-

 

[Taphrospilus]

In 1931, Mr. Ángel Rafael took charge of the collections.
Zotta, son of the aforementioned taxidermist, who was the author of
the "Systematic List of Argentine Birds", published progressively
in the magazine El Hornero and later published separately in 1944. This list
and bird distribution was made entirely on the basis of the
existing collections at the time.

B

If we consider that he published in El Hornero (not the father) I would conclude the dedication is for the son (hijo).

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Señor Zotta's Barn Owl (in Spanish)

One more (quick) try ...

If we consider that he published in El Hornero (not the father) I would conclude the dedication is for the son (hijo).

Martin, the dedication of Tyto alba zottae is (in my mind) most certainly for the Son [Ángel R. (Rafael) Zotta], also claimed by himself, as quoted in (your) post #8, but ... I´m less convinced about the year (of his supposed/alleged death; "1951"). I suspect that we're once again led astray by the The Eponym Dictionary of Birds. Sigh.


Either way, in Boletín Oficial de la República Argentina. 1976 (2da sección), from 31st of December 1976, we find the following text (it's all in Spanish, and as such, incomprehensible to me):

JUGADOS NACIONALES EN LO CIVIL
Y ESPECIALES EN LOC CIVIL COMERCIAL
...
SUCESIONES: Se cita tres días, ā partir de la primera publicación a herederos y acreedores de los causantes ...

[...]

[Jusg. No.] 7 [Sec. No.] 14 [Secretario] José Luis Galmarini [Fecha del Edicto] 20/12/76 [Causante] ANGEL RAFAEL ZOTTA ... "

[...]

[here, on p.8]​

.... meaning/indicating; what? What happened in 1976? (If it's about "our guy", and not a namesake, of course)

This far (and simply by the Maths of it), I'd say (read: guess), that, if no violent accident or serious illness occurred, it's more likely that it was Ángel Zotta (Senior) that died in 1951 (born in about "1878", if so he would have been in his early 70's), while the Son, Ángel R. Zotta, probably lived a little bit longer, as he seems to have started his career at the same Museum where his Father worked "very early", in 1928, indicating that he was born in about the Mid/Late-1910's. Or?

If the Son, (Junior/hijo), would have passed in 1951 I would think such a case ought to have been noted somewhere, (like so many, or any, other tragic, premature deaths). If so he would only have been in his Mid-30's.

It's just a hunch ... with nothing more than what's been shown in this thread backing it up. Thereby; take it for what it's worth.

And as always; don't hesitate to prove otherwise!

Well, and that's it. I cannot reach any further. Too much, far too much Spanish (for my capacity).

Good luck finding the last pieces.

Björn

PS. Same Boletín ... for 20 December (here). If of any help/use?

 

[l_raty]

What we know of the father, based on:

https://museonacionaldecienciasnaturales.blogspot.com/2012/12/lista-de-empleados-del-museo-de.html (Björn, post #5)
http://bibliotecafepai.fepai.org.ar/Actas/HistoriaCiencia/ActasHCXIII.pdf (Brian, post #3)
https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/download/hornero/hornero_v008_n03_p516.pdf (Björn, post #6)
https://issuu.com/avesargentinas/docs/v5n3/132 (Björn, post #6)
​

..is:
He was born ca. 1878 (being 31 yo in 1909) in Italy, then emigrated to Argentina. First worked as a "celador" (warden) at the Hotel de Inmigrantes (in Buenos Aires), Feb 1897 - 20 Dec 1897. Entered the Museo Nacional on 21 Dec 1897, initially as a private employee of Dr. Carlos Berg, Section Entomology; from Jan 1902, working on preparations in this section; from 1 Jan 1906, "Ayudante preparador del Museo Nacional"; later also working on the maintenance of the ornithological collections (i.a., with Roberto Dabbene). He was still single ('soltero') in 1909. He retired in 1933 (homage on 29 Dec 1933 for his career, following his recent retirement after 31 years of service at the Museo). But he continued to offer his help on a voluntary basis, with the title of "Conservador Honorario" (which was apparently still his status in 1944).

The obituary https://issuu.com/avesargentinas/docs/v10n1/116 (Martin, post #1) tells us :

Nacido en Italia había llegado al país a muy temprana edad y casi simultáneamente se empleó en el entonces Museo Nacional de Buenos Aires, durante la dirección del doctor Berg. Paralelamente a las funciones que desempeñaba en la sección Ornitología — Conservador y destacado taxidermista — realizó tareas en la sección Entomología.

...i.e., born in Italy, moved to Argentina at an early age; started working almost immediately at the Museo Nacional, then directed by Dr. Berg; and worked both in the Section Ornithology (as a conservator and taxidermist) and in the Section Entomology. All quite clearly consistent with what other documents say about the father, and not compatible with the son.

As the father was single in 1909, twelve years after immigrating to Argentina, the son was presumably born in Argentina (not Italy), and most likely after that date (which is consistent with him having still been 'muy joven' in 1928). Even if we were to pretend that the son might be born in Italy and have emigrated in 1897 with a 19-yo unmarried father (which by itself seems quite far-fetched), he could not possibly have been more than a very (very!) young child at that time, and could certainly not have started working almost immediately at the Museo, under the direction of Dr. Carlos Berg (who died in 1902).

The Zotta who was in charge of the ornithological collections of the Museo in 1938 (and would thus be the dedicatee as per https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/70306749.pdf -- Martin, post #7) was the son. The father had retired and was Honorary Conservator at that time.

 

[Taphrospilus]

PS. Same Boletín ... for 20 December (here). If of any help/use?

No idea what we should find there?

Here p. 84 in th footnote:

Tuvo una profusa obra de investigación de campo y sistemati-zación teórica, que desde 1914 realizó bajo la frecuente tutela de Carlos Ameghino (1865-1936) a quien reconocía como su maestro. Hizo frecuentes viajes de investigación a Uruguay, desde 1927: este año integró junto a Martín Doello Jurado, Ergasto H. Cordero, Augusto Teisseire, Alejandro C. Berro, Mario Fontana, Angel Zotta y Emilio Ribas, una comisión que durante nueve días reco-rrió Nueva Palmira, la desembocadura del río Negro y los alrededores de Mercedes; trabajó mucho con la colección de Berro (2.700 fósiles) en la que, como novedad, reconoció restos de dinosaurios encontrados cerca de Estación Palmitas

And here (Museo del Colegio San José):

Fue creado por los naturalistas Germán Burmeister, Carlos Berg, Doelho Jurado y Angel Zotta con la cooperación de alumnos y ex alumnos del Colegio. Exhibe colecciones de insectos, aves, reptiles, anfibios, peces, moluscos, artrópodos, equinodermos, celenterados, políferos, platelmintos, nematelmintos, aélidos, y huevos clasificados por su textura, forma y tamaño.

 

[l_raty]

If we consider that he published in El Hornero (not the father) I would conclude the dedication is for the son (hijo).

Just to have that clear : they both published in El Hornero, thus cannot be distinguished on that base.

For instance, in the very same issue 7 (3), Sep 1940, we have:
- p. 359 - https://issuu.com/avesargentinas/docs/v7n3/35 - Notas ornithologicas. Por Angel R. Zotta, Encargado de las colecciones ornitológicas del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, Buenos Aires. = the son.
- p. 402 - https://issuu.com/avesargentinas/docs/v7n3/78 - Lista sobre el contenido estomacal de las aves argentinas. Por Angel Zotta, Conservador honorario de las colecciones de Ornitología del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales. = the father.

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

PS. Same Boletín ... for 20 December (here). If of any help/use?

No idea what we should find there?
...

Well, ... me, not reading Spanish, simply assumed it could be something told there, as it said (see the quote from Boletín Oficial de la República Argentina, in #11): Fecha del Edicto (that I believed meant Date of Edition/Publication) 20/12/76, indicating (to me, helped only by Google translate) that something could have been told about this [Causante/cause/case, etc.] ANGEL RAFAEL ZOTTA, in the same Boletín ... for 20 December (1976). That's all.

But maybe I was barking up the wrong tree. If so, sorry.

/B

 

[Taphrospilus]

The son could have some connection to Mathematics

Facultad de Ingenieria (1963 [Urique 552, Paraná]
Profesores
....
Zotta, Angel Rafael; Matemáticas

He might be mentioned here p. 59. (but no guarantee)