Falco antillarum 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 : 401

19. Buffon’s “Mansfeni” (full species)

19.1. Linnaeus (1758): not considered.

19.2. Brisson (1759a: 361, 1763a: 104-105): “ FAUCON DES ANTILLES ”, “ FALCO ANTILLARUM ”, species 13 of genus VIII (“Épervier”, “ Accipiter ”), order III, section 1.

OBSERVATION. — No direct observation. Description borrowed from Du Tertre.

REFERENCES. — Du Tertre (1667: 252), “Mansfeny”; possible direct observation; Ray (1713: 19 no. 1), based on Du Tertre.

DISTRIBUTION. — Antilles.

MODERN IDENTIFICATION. — The species cannot be identified. Ray and Brisson rely on Du Tertre’s very imprecise description (a bird of prey resembling an eagle, same size as a falcon but with bigger claws; eats birds and snakes); furthermore, the word “mansfeni” (whose origin is unclear) seems to have designated several birds in the Antilles, including the frigatebird.

19.3. Linnaeus (1766): not considered.

19.4. Buffon in Buffon & Guéneau de Montbeillard (1771a: 144- 145), quarto edition; (1771b: 112-113), folio edition: “ MANSFENI ”.

OBSERVATION. — No direct observation. Description borrowed from Du Tertre.

REFERENCE. — Du Tertre (1667: 252).

DISTRIBUTION. — Antilles.

MODERN IDENTIFICATION. — Unidentified bird of prey: see the comments on Brisson.

19.5. Gmelin (1788: 264): “ FALCO ANTILLARUM ” G42, S65, order “ Accipitres ”. REFERENCES. — Brisson (1763a: 104); Ray (1713: 19 no. 1); “Du Tartre” = Du Tertre (1667: 252); Buffon & Guéneau de Montbeillard (1771a: 144); Latham (1781: 47 no. 27), “Mansfeny”, based on Brisson, Buffon, Du Tertre, Ray.

DISTRIBUTION. — Antilles.

MODERN IDENTIFICATION. — Unidentified bird of prey: see the comments on Brisson. Gmelin says that the top of the head is black and the abdomen white, which obviously results from a confusion between Brisson’s “ Falco Antillarum ” and “ Falco piscator Antillarum ”; however, Gmelin mentions the latter in the list of references for “ Falco carolinensis ”: see above.

MODERN NOMENCLATURE. — Falco antillarum J. F. Gmelin, 1788 , is a nomen dubium.