1) Has Temminck ever published this name Euplocomus diardi for Diard's Fireback?
2) Is the name not somehow pre-occupied by Phasianus diardii?
3) Why not Lophura prelatus as that seems the name Bonaparte intended for the Diard's Fireback?
Bonaparte's wording here was pretty much obscure in my opinion, and I'm very unclear that it has usually been understood correctly...
3. Diardigallus, Bp. Nul voyageur ne méritait mieux que M. Diard l'honneur de donner son nom à une espèce nouvelle, et on ne sait quelle maladresse a toujours empêché qu'on ne lui rendît cette justice. En effet, le beau Faisan que Temminck avait voulu lui dédier sous le nom de Phasianus diardi, n'est autre que le Ph. versicolor, Vieill. L'Alectrophasis que M. Guérin a figuré sous son nom, ne diffère pas du cuvieri!... et, récemment, on aurait voulu appeler, d'après lui, le véritable Acomus (¹) erythrophthalmus, Raffles, ou pyronotus, Vieill. (²).
» Espérons qu'enfin son nom pourra rester, et, qui plus est, comme générique, au magnifique Gallinacé auquel nous l'imposons avec la pleine approbation de MM. Temminck et Schlegel. Il se trouve reproduit parmi les admirables petites figures que Schlegel a préparées pour son Manuel de Zoologie à l'usage de la glorieuse marine hollandaise. En effet, cet oiseau n'est pas moins remarquable par ses formes que par le brillant de son plumage. C'est, pour ainsi dire (même par la queue), un véritable Coq sans pendeloques. Ce genre devra donc suivre immédiatement Gallus, et dans notre Tableau il devrait se trouver sous le n° 39, comme Diardigallus, au bas de la colonne des Coqs, plutôt même que de commencer celle des Gallophasis.
» La couleur violette qui prédomine, ou du moins saute aux yeux les moins exercés, et la préférence dont est digne ce nouvel Euplocomus diardi, Temm., nous l'a fait dénommer Diardigallus prelatus. [...] »
3. Diardigallus, Bp. No traveller better deserved the honour of giving his name to a new species than Mr. Diard, and no one knows which clumsiness always prevented this justice from being done to him. Indeed, the beautiful Pheasant which Temminck had wanted to dedicate to him under the name Phasianus diardi, is no other than Ph. versicolor, Vieill. The Alectrophasis which Mr. Guérin figured under his name, does not differ from the cuvieri!... and, recently, one would have wished to name after him, the true Acomus (¹) erythrophthalmus, Raffles, or pyronotus, Vieill. (²).
» Let's hope that finally his name will be allowed to stand, and, what is more, as a generic name, for the magnificent fowl to which we impose it with the full approval of Messrs. Temminck and Schlegel. It is represented among the admirable little figures which Schlegel has prepared for his Manual of Zoology for the use of the glorious Dutch navy. Indeed, this bird is no less remarkable for its shapes than for the brightness of its plumage. It is, so to speak (even by the tail), a real fowl without pendants. This genus must therefore immediately follow Gallus, and in our Table it should stand under number 39, as Diardigallus, at the bottom of the column of the fowls, rather, even, than at the start of that of Gallophasis.
» The purple colour which predominates, or at least springs to the less trained eyes, and the preference which this new Euplocomus diardi, Temm., deserves, has made us call it Diardigallus prelatus. [...then follows a precise description of the species...] »
In the above, Bonaparte is usually interpreted as having proposed
Diardigallus prelatus in "replacement" of a manuscript name "
Euplocomus diardi, Temm." Is this really what the text is telling us, however...?
Schlegel's "little figures" which Bonaparte says show the bird were published in 1857, and are
here. In the
corresponding text, Schegel called the bird
Gallus diardii.
The "Table" to which Bonaparte referred in the description, and where he would have made
Diardigallus stand as #39, is
this -- which had been published a couple of months earlier.
Now... I can but note that, in this slightly earlier Table, we have :
- a "diardi, Temm." in the synonymy of Phasianus versicolor Vieill.,
- a "diardi, Guérin" in the synonymy of Alectrophasis cuvieri Temm., and
- an "E. diardi, Temm." in the synonymy of Acomus erythrophthalmus Raffl.
...which appears to match Bonaparte's statements in the description that :
- the beautiful Pheasant which Temminck had wanted to dedicate to him under the name Phasianus diardi, is no other than Ph. versicolor, Vieill.,
- the Alectrophasis which Mr. Guérin figured under his name, does not differ from the cuvieri, and,
- recently, one would have wished to name after him, the true Acomus erythrophthalmus, Raffles.
As a consequence, I would be inclined to read the phrase "ce nouvel
Euplocomus diardi,
Temm.", in the description, as an oblique way to present
Diardigallus prelatus as another attempt to name a species after Diard -- just like "
Euplocomus diardi, Temm." could have been one, had it not been intended for the bird already named
erythrophthalmus Raffles... IOW, I am completely unconvinced that "
Euplocomus diardi, Temm.", in Bonaparte's description of
Diardigallus prelatus, was ever intended to apply to the bird that was being described.
