Syma Genealogy

First things first... a few interesting observations about this most-interesting and unusual of names:

1. Possibly has old roots
2. Kingfisher?!
3. asdf

1. Possibly has old roots

• syma = sixteenth-century spelling of cyma
• cyma = From the Ancient Greek κῦμα (kuma), from κύω (kuō, “I am pregnant, I conceive”).
  Alternative forms:
  sima, syma [16th century]; cima, scima [18th century]

2. Kingfisher?!

Syma is the genus name of two species of kingfisher:

• Mountain Kingfisher (Syma megarhyncha)
  Described by Salvadori, 1896
  As the more recent of the two descriptions, Tommaso Salvadori does not matter
• Yellow-billed Kingfisher (Syma torotoro)
  Described by Lesson, 1827
  As the oldest of the two descriptions, it controls.  Why did René Primevère Lesson give the Yellow-billed Kingfisher this particular genus name?

So... which Lesson publication was this species described in?

• Manuel d'ornithologie was published in 1828, yet has no mention of either Syma species
• According to "Zoological Catalogue of Australia, Volume 37" (pg.359), the citation is:
• Lesson, R.P. (1827). "Nouveau genre d'oiseau," Bull. Sci. Nat. Geol (Ferussac), 11:443-444 [443]
• [publication dated as 1826; also published in [numerous other sources].]
• According to "Kingfishers, Bee-eaters and Rollers" (pg.171), the citation is:
• Syma torotoro Lesson, 1827, Bull. Sci. Nat. Geol., 2, II, p.443, Dorey (=Manokwari), New Guinea
• According to "Check-list of birds of the world - Volume 5" (pg.203), the citation is:
• Syma torotoro Lesson, 1827, Bull. Univ. Sci. et d'Industr., sect. 2, 11, 1827, p. 443. (Dorey [now Manokwari] New Guinea.)
• According to Národní muzeum's "List of type specimens of birds in the collections..." the citation is:
• Syma torotoro Lesson
• Syma torotoro Lesson, 1827: 443.
• HOLOTYPE (by monotypy): C.G. 2006-562 (A.C. 3419, N.C. 118). Pedestal underside:
• “Nelle. Guinée / M. Less. et Garnot / La Coquille / 3419 / Syma Torotoro. / Less. et
• Garn. / Type”. Pedestal label: “Syma torotoro / (Less.) Type. / La Coquille N. Guinée”.
• REMARKS: Lesson (1827) himself collected this specimen during the voyage of the fregatte
• La Coquille (Voisin et al. 2004). He wrote about this species “we observed several
• individuals flying low over the water of small rivers which flow into the haven of
• Doréry (= Manokwari), in New Guinea. Papuan people call them torotoro, probably
• by reference to their call”.
• NOW: Halcyon torotoro (Lesson, 1827).
• [NOTE: The file is "177-2008-01-Voisin.pdf" in my Dropbox]
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• "Archives des découvertes et des inventions nouvelles: faites dans" appears to have the full-text on pg.33 (translation available).
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• Misc:
• http://iphylo.org/~rpage/afd/id/c9479044-b8b6-43ff-842c-3b9760f36b81
• http://lsid.tdwg.org/summary/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.publication:c9479044-b8b6-43ff-842c-3b9760f36b81
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• Google Books appears to have the full-text:
• Bulletin des Sciences Naturelles et de Géologie - Volume 11; Volume 1827 [translation available]
• [direct link to pg.442]
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• The actual paper shows first Symé before translating it as Syma.
• Symé is a place name in Greece.
• Symé also has some meaning in Slovak: link
• ancient Greek name of the Greek island of Symi, see Symi
• Symi also transliterated Syme or Simi (Greek: Σύμη) is a Greek island and municipality
• (see also the Battle of Syme)
• in Greek mythology, daughter Ialysa and Dótidy, see Syme (mythology)
• For what it may or may not be worth, in French, symé means "symmetric"
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