Professor Cheng's (Sichuan) Bush Warbler (1 Viewer)

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Nothing much, nothing (truly) additional, simply some 'flesh on the bones', and a few comments (or pernickety remarks), re. the dedicatee, commemorated in ...

chengi as in:
• the Sichuan Bush Warbler Locustella chengi ALSTRÖM et al., 2015 (OD here, on p.27):

Etymology
We are pleased to name Locustella chengi after the late Professor Cheng Tso-hsin (modern pinyin transcription Zheng Zuoxin) (1906–1998) in recognition of his unparalleled contributions to Chinese ornithology, of which his monumental work A Synopsis of the Avifauna of China (Cheng 1987) is the most widely known outside of China. We recommend the use of the English name Sichuan Bush Warbler.

... which, as far as I can tell (and contrary to how it was written in the OD), ought to be the celebrated Chinese ornithologist Tso-hsin Cheng (1906–1998), in the Western order of names (i.e. Family/Surname last), 郑作新, a k a Zuoxin Zheng alt. Zheng Zuoxin [in the latter case, in the Eastern order of names].

However, the Eastern way is also how his name (unfortunately) have been written, quite often also in various Western texts. As well as (somewhat awkwardly) in the very OD itself! All (the rest) of the OD was written in normal English. Why the Authors wrote the name of the dedicatee in the Eastern way (the opposite way around), in an English-language Journal ... I simply cannot understand?!?

Either way, I´m pretty sure that his Family/Surname wasn't neither 'Zuoxin', nor 'Tso-hsin', which is easy to believe, after having read some of those quirky texts – apparently all slightly erroneous, or simply with his name; back to front, alt. the wrong way (a)round, in reversed order.

For example/s, see the following thread (with the, for us 'Westerners') somewhat misleading title); Taxa described by Cheng Tso-hsin, in the Bird Taxonomy and Nomenclature Forum (here).

Also compare with the entry in today's Key:

chengi
Prof. Cheng Tso-hsin (1906-1998) Chinese ornithologist (Locustella).

As well, consider that his Surname/Authorship (in Taxonomy/Ornithology), for all his birds, is always given as "Cheng" (he described at least a dozen, still valid, subspecies.).

For even more about Mr Cheng, see the following Paper by Fumin Lei & Gang Song (2020):
• Tso-Hsin Cheng: The founder of modern ornithology and zoogeography in China (here).

Also see Pittie (2023*, pp.250–251):

Cheng, Tso-Hsin [Zheng Zuo-Xin] (1906–1998; China)
Ornithologist. Educated at the Fujian Christian University, China and University of Michigan. Founder of the Beijing Natural History Museum and the China Zoological Society. Honorary President of the 22nd International Ornithological Congress. Prolific writer having published ‘more than ten million words in 30 books, 20 monographs, 150 scientific papers, and 260 popular articles (Hsu 1999). ... His studies in remote areas of China (1950–1966) resulted in the description of 15 new species.

—Hsu, W. (Xu Wei-shu). 1999. Obituary: Two-hsin Cheng (1906–98). Ibis 141 (1): 167. [P] [here]​

—Hsu, W., 1999. In memoriam: Tso-Hsin Cheng, 1906– 1998. The Auk 116 (2): 539–541. [here]​

—Pittie, A., 2010. Birds in books: three hundred years of South Asian ornithology—a bibliography. 1st ed. Ranikhet: Permanent Black. Pp. i–xxi, 1–845. [info about this book itself here]​

—Wikipedia. 2022. Tso-hsin Cheng. Webpage URL: ... [here]​

Bibliography
Cheng, T.-H., 1955. ...
Cheng, T.-H., 1976. ...
Cheng, T.-H., 1978. ...
[...]

And (as always); don't hesitate to prove me wrong (in any, whatever minor or major, way).

Björn

PS. This Warbler was also mentioned by Melanie in the old thread HBW Alive (post #34, here, from back in July 2016), and more recently by myself (in a foot-note) in thread Yen's Fulvetta (post #4, here, from 8th of February 2021).

---

*Pittie, A., 2023. An author bibliography of South Asian ornithology 1713–2022. Second edition. (Published on 10 February 2023): 1–1649. (accessible for download, here)

 

[Taphrospilus]

The distinctive song of a secretive and elusive bird in central China has helped researchers to identify it and deem it to be a new species to science.

Scientists first heard the harsh call of the Sichuan bush warbler in 1987, but they only recently gathered enough data to formally describe it.

The new species, Locustella chengi, has been named after Prof Cheng Tso-hsin, a distinguished Chinese ornithologist.

The details have been published in the Avian Research journal.

Article here.

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Either way Martin, in my MS, and notes, I will keep him as Professor Tso-hsin Cheng (1906–1998), just like it was written in his Obituary (in The Ibis, link above).

 

[Xenospiza]

It is more usual to write Chinese names in the Chinese order than in the western order, at least in the western languages I speak.
I have never heard anyone say Zedong Mao, for example.

 

[l_raty]

As well as (somewhat awkwardly) in the very OD itself! All (the rest) of the OD was written in normal English. Why the Authors wrote the name of the dedicatee in the Eastern way (the opposite way around), in an English-language Journal ... I simply cannot understand?!?

As a mark of respect for his culture ?

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

As a mark of respect for his culture ?

Isn't it rare with disrespectful Obituaries ... ?

Either way, if it's good enough for the editors of The Ibis, and The Auk, it's good enough for me.

I'll keep him as Professor Cheng.

 

[l_raty]

Isn't it rare with disrespectful Obituaries ... ?

Either way, if it's good enough for the editors of The Ibis, and The Auk, it's good enough for me.

I'll keep him as Professor Cheng.

"Professor Cheng" is certainly not a problem. (Cheng/Zheng is unquestionally his family name.)

Beware that the obits are 25 years old, I'm not sure they can be expected to be representative of current preferred practices.

Interestingly, although Japanese names have traditionally been written using the western order when romanized, there were requests from Japan a couple of years ago (2019-20) asking the western press to do it the other way around. E.g., to write "Abe Shinzo", not "Shinzo Abe".

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Thus, Professor (Tso-hsin) Cheng would work.

Also compare with tangorum earlier dealt with here (which also would concern tangi), and even confucius (after 'Master Kong').