ARABIAN WILDLIFE:ONLINE ONLY: WHATS IN A NAME?

There are no cut and fast rules. A name does not necessarily imply
first finder. Hume’s Tawny Owl Strix butleri, for example, was
named by Hume (1829-1912) but the specimen came from Butler (1843-1916),
hence butleri, who had been given it by Nash – who is not commemorated
in any way !

Acanthodactylus schmidti, White-spotted Lizard; named after Schmidt,
whichever Smith he was ! Acanthodactylus is ‘thorny-fingered’

Alectoris philbyi, Philby’s Rock Partridge; named after St. John
Philby, the famous Arabist and natural historian resident in Saudi
Arabia in first half of the 20th century.

Dendrocopos dorae, Arabian Woodpecker; named after Philby’s wife
Dora, by Philby himself and in her honour. Dendrocopos means ‘tree-hitting’

Hemitragus jayakari, Arabian Tahr; named after Surgeon-Major Jayakari
of the Indian Army who purchased some skins of the animal in Muscat
in 1892. Hemitragus means literally ‘half-goat’.

Larus hemprichii, Sooty Gull formerly Hemprich’s Gull; the Prussain
naturalist Hemprich (1796-1825) travelled extensively in the Middle
East in the early 20th century. Laros is the Greek for a seabird.

Sterna saundersi, Saunders’ Little Tern; Saunders (1835-1907)
was a British merchant banker and ornithologist. Sterna is Old
Norse for a tern.

Vulpes rueppellii, Ruppells Fox; Ruppell (1794-1884) was a self-financed
German naturalist who roved widely through Egypt and other Middle
Eastern countries during the 1800s. Vulpes is the name for fox.