Thanks to Don Jones for sharing a link from Kenn Kaufman that summarizes some of Kenn's recent research on eponymous names and the history of ornithology. The report provides objective historical facts that most birders, like me, never realized. Each of us can draw our own conclusions from his findings about the historical value of eponymous names and whether they should be retained for historical reasons. Here is one of his findings:
>From the 1820s to the early 1840s in North America, John James Audubon was handing out eponyms like candy. At first he was trying to court favor with British naturalists (like Bewick, Henslow, or Swainson) or with wealthy individuals who might support his work. Later he used names to honor various friends and colleagues (like Harris, Sprague, or Bell). http://www.kaufmanfieldguides.com/kenn-on-the-issues/eponymous-bird-names-and-the-history-of-ornithology?fbclid=IwAR32lesbSDgzt0MiBEG4bGBoBBnWEPPcisGmEW9z-aWljHFrMbOi08lwxaU Greg Osland Larimer County -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CA%2BYKL92Vdh1MCMEOiao%2BEAXm-iLSMiJLzVAKX58kpoDJmNW9Gg%40mail.gmail.com.
