Falco gallicus J. F. Gmelin, 1788

Schmitt, Stéphane & Gouraud, Christophe, 2024, The significance of Buffon and Guéneau de Montbeillard’s Histoire naturelle des oiseaux ([1765] - 1783) in the taxonomy of birds: General presentation and correspondence between Buffon’s “ eagles ” and the species acknowledged by Linnaeus (1758, 1766), Brisson (1759 - 1762), and Gmelin (1788 - 1789), Zoosystema 46 (16), pp. 361-409 : 392-393

11. Buffon’s “Jean-le-blanc” (full species)

11.1. Linnaeus (1758: 89): Linnaeus mentions Belon’s “Ian le blanc” in the synonymy of “ Falco Albicilla ” (G41, S8): see above.

11.2. Brisson (1759a: 443-445, 1763a: 127): JEAN-LE-BLANC, “ PYGARGUS ”, species 11 of genus IX (“Aigle”, “ Aquila ”), order III, section 1.

OBSERVATION. — Direct observation in Réaumur’s cabinet; specimen(s) sent by François Salerne.

REFERENCES. — Belon (1555: 103), “Ian le blanc, autrement nommé l’oyseau sainct Martin”; Belon (1557: 15 ro.), “ Pygargus , Janleblanc, Oyseau saint Martin ”; Aldrovandi (1599: 208), “ Pygargi secundum genus ”, based on Belon; Jonston (1657: 4, pl. II), “ Pygargus ”, based on Belon and Aldrovandi.

DISTRIBUTION. — Common in France.

MODERN IDENTIFICATION. — Brisson’s description (total length of 67 cm, coloration, etc.) clearly corresponds to * Circaetus gallicus (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) . It is, indeed, the first unambiguous description of this bird in a work of natural history. However, Brisson mistakenly identifies it with Belon’s “Jan-le-blanc” (or Aldrovandi’s “second genus of Pygargus ”), which is a harrier, most probably * Circus cyaneus ( Linnaeus, 1766) (Glardon in Belon 1997: 410). Brisson thus gives a new meaning to the name “jean-le-blanc” which is still in use in French (“Circaète Jean-le-blanc” for * Circaetus gallicus ).

11.3. Linnaeus (1766: 123-124): Linnaeus still mentions Belon’s “Ian le blanc” in the list of references of “ Vultur Albicilla ” in 1766: see above. That is probably the reason why he does not take into account Brisson’s “Jean-le-blanc”.

11.4. Buffon in Buffon & Guéneau de Montbeillard (1771a: 124-135, pl. IV), quarto edition; (1771b: 97-105, PE 413), folio edition: “ JEAN-LE-BLANC ”.

PLATE IV. — “Le Jean-le-blanc”. See Figure 1 .

PE 413. — “le Jean-le-blanc” (published in March 1770). See Figure 2.

OBSERVATION. — Direct observation, Buffon says he had this bird alive in 1768-1769; it is probably the specimen illustrated on PE 413 (we cannot exclude, however, that Martinet drew a specimen from the cabinet of Réaumur studied by Brisson). The specimens represented on De Sève’s pl. IV seem to be different.

REFERENCES. — Belon (1555: 103-104); Aldrovandi (1599: 208); Brisson (1759a: 443); Salerne (1767: 23-24), “Jean le Blanc”.

DISTRIBUTION. — Common in France, rare in other countries.

IDENTIFICATIONS PROPOSED BY LATER AUTHORS FOR PE 413. — Boddaert (1783: 25): Brisson (1759a: 443); Latham (1781: 39 no. 17), “Jean le blanc”, refers to Brisson, Buffon, Jonston. Boddaert assigns this bird to the Linnaean genus “ Falco ” but does not give a specific name to it.

Kuhl (1820: 7): “ Falco Gallicus G. L. ” (= Gmelin, Linnaeus).

Temminck (1839: 3): “Aigle Jean le blanc”, adult, “ Falco brachydactylus . Wol.”

Gray (1849: 33): “ Circaetus gallicus ”.

MODERN IDENTIFICATION. — it is clearly * Circaetus gallicus (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) on PE 413 (which may represent a juvenile, but the color of the tarsa is not accurate) and on De Sève’s plate IV (at least the bird in the foreground), as well as in the first-hand description of the bird by Buffon. However, the rest of text is more confused and describes characters relating to harriers (flight close to the ground, nest on the ground, etc.). This confusion results from the sources used (see the comments on Brisson). Salerne’s “Jean-le blanc”, in particular, is a harrier.

11.5. Gmelin (1788: 259): “ FALCO GALLICUS ” G42, S52, order “ Accipitres ”.

REFERENCES. — Brisson (1763a: 127); Jonston (1657: 4, pl. II); Buffon & Guéneau de Montbeillard (1771a: 124, pl. IV) and PE 413; Latham (1781: 39 no. 17), based on Brisson, Buffon, and Jonston.

DISTRIBUTION. — France, not common in other European countries.

MODERN IDENTIFICATION. — * Circaetus gallicus (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) , according to the description and the mentioned sources (except Jonston: see the comments on Brisson).

MODERN NOMENCLATURE. — Falco gallicus J. F. Gmelin, 1788 is an available and valid name, the protonym of the name currently in use for the species. The specimens described by Brisson and Buffon belong to the type series.

Figures

FIG. 1. — Plate IV: “le Jean-le-Blanc”, by De Sève, in Buffon & Guéneau de Montbeillard (1771a). Both represented (lost) specimens belong to the type series of Falco gallicus J. F. Gmelin, 1788. Credits: Musée Buffon, Montbard.

FIG. 2. — Planche enluminée 413: “le Jean-le Blanc”, by Martinet, in Buffon & Guéneau de Montbeillard (1771b). The represented (lost) specimen belongs to the type series of Falco gallicus J. F. Gmelin, 1788. Credits: Musée Buffon, Montbard.