Melanerpes carolinus harpaceus W. Koelz, 1954 (1 Viewer)

[Taphrospilus]

Melanerpes carolinus harpaceus W. Koelz, 1954 OD Koelz, W. (1954). Ornithological studies. I. New birds from Iran, Afghanistan, and India. Contributions from the Institute for Regional Exploration, Ann Arbor, 1, 1–32 (Not seen)

The Eponym Dictionary of Birds claims:

Red-bellied Woodpecker ssp. Melanerpes carolinus harpaceus W. Koelz, 1954 NRM
Professor George J. Wallace (1907-1986) earned his bachelor's degree, master's . and Ph. D from Michigan State University . He worked at Vermont Fish and Game Service, before becoming Director of Pleasant Valley Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary in Massachusetts. He returned to Michigan State University (1942-1972) where he was very active in the fight against use of DDT. He published numerous articles and textbooks on ornithology, several monographs, and other books including the autobiographical My World of Birds (1979). The word harpaceus is compound of pieces of three person's names: J. W. Hardy (q.v.), E. C. Pielou (q.v.) and Wallace's.

The old key:

"On the day that Koelz [1954] was preparing the description of this form, Prof. George J. Wallace brought one of his classes from Michigan State University to the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology to study the bird collection. Koelz asked the names of the visitors, John William Hardy, William Pilou, and Prof. Wallace, and, taking the har from Hardy, the p from Pilou, and the ace from Wallace, and adding the Latin masculine ending, composed the name harpaceus" (Storer 1988) (syn. Melanerpes carolinus).

An obituary and picture of him here. Only new from my side is his middle name George John Wallace from here but now the question born 1906 or 1907 arose?

One of the others....


The Eponym Dictionary of Birds claims:

William Pielou (DNF) was Professor of Biology at Alma College, Michigan (1952-1953) (see Harpaceus).

Not sure why he was called E. C. Pielou in the other explanaition.

I think it is him here

Dr. William Percival Pielou, 85, of 1277 Shadow Way, passed away peacefully at home on July 28, 2007.

Born in Detroit, Mich., he was the son of the late William Holmes Pielou and Jessie Blanche Pielou. Dr. Pielou was a biology professor for 42 years, 27 of which he spent at Furman University starting in 1964 and retiring in 1991. Dr. Pielou earned his bachelor's and master's degrees of science at the University of Michigan and his doctorate of science at Michigan State University. He served his country in the Navy during World War II from 1942 through 1945.

So he must be born around 1922.

J. W. Hardy is explained in both Eponym Dictionary of Birds and the old key. John William Hardy (1930-2012) so nothing to add.

 

[PScofield]

Name	William Percival Pielou
Birth	21 Mar 1922 Detroit, MI, United States of America
Death	28 Jul 2007 South Carolina, United States of America

George John Wallace
Birth	9 Dec 1906 Waterbury, Washington County, Vermont, United States of America
Death	8 Mar 1986 East Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan, United States of America

Assuming graves are correct. P

 

[Taphrospilus]

An additional entry in The Eponym Dictionary of Birds is:

Red-bellied Woodpecker ssp. Melanerpes carolinus harpaceus Koelz, 1954
According to a letter written by J. W. Hardy (q.v.) to Wetmore (q.v.), the word harpaceus is a compound of pieces of three people's names: Hardy's own, Wm. Pielou (q.v.) and George J. Wallace (q.v.).

From post #2 I wouldn't doubt as in The Key to Scientific Names the birth 1922 for Pielou.