Seth-Smith Guinea Fowl

It seems that while Leslie Moffat Seth-Smith (my grandfather) was in Uganda, he identified a few new species of bird. Certainly, there is evidence (see below) that he collected Smithornis rufolateralis budongoensis and Guttera Cristata Seth-Smithi. But I have also found evidence of Guttera edouardi subsp. sethsmithi, Muscicapa sethsmithi, Rallus Philippensis sethsmithi and Gallirallus Philippensis sethsmithi. I have collated some of the information below.

Seth-Smith's Crested Guinea-Fowl

An example of what some naturalists regard as a new subspecies of the crested guinea fowl has just been deposited in the eastern aviary at the Zoological Gardens. The bird was brought home by Mr Leslie Moffat Seth-Smith from Uganda about two years ago and has since been living in a private aviary. The type specimen obtained by him in the Budongo forest is now with the rest of his collection in the Tring Museum. It was described by Professor Neumann at the meeting of the British Ornithologists Club on Oct 21 1908 and named Guttera Cristata Seth-Smithi in honour of the collector. It bears a general resemblance to the typical form from New Guinea, but has a shorter crest, and the spots and stripes of a finer and deeper blue. Skins collected by Mr. F. J. Jackson on the Mau Mountains are in the Natural history Museum, and others obtained by the Duke of Mecklenburg's expedition are in the Berlin Museum. In the Bulletin of the club (xxiii., 14) Mr Ogilvie Grant remarked in a note that this subspecies and another described at the same time appeared to be founded on seasonal changes of plumage, freshly moulted birds having spots and stripes of a brighter blue, while in worn specimens the markings become paler. On the other hand, Professor Neumann maintains that the difference is observable in all stages of plumage. Observations on the living bird before and after the moult ought to throw some light on the matter.

Source and date unknown

Guttera edouardi / cristata subsp. sethsmithi

Information about a sighting is given in a notebook

Information about this bird is given here, pp 660-663.

Smithornis rufolateralis budongoensis

SOURCE:
TYPE SPECIMENS OF BIRDS IN THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY PART 3.
PASSERIFORMES: EURYLAIMIDAE, DENDROCOLAPTIDAE, FURNARIIDAE, FORMICARIIDAE, CONOPOPJAGIDAE, AND RHINOCRYPTIDAE

Smithornis rufolateralis budongoensis van Someren, 1921: 103 (Budongo Forest). Now Smithornis rufolateralis budongoensis van Someren, 1921.� See Keith et al., 1992: 5, and Lambert and Woodcock, 1996: 194. HOLOTYPE: AMNH 553340, female, collected in Budongo Forest, Uganda, 01deg40'N to 01deg53'N, 31deg25'E to 31deg41'E (Chapin, 1954:649), on 17 February 1907, by Leslie M. Seth-Smith.� From the Rothschild collection.
References: Keith, G.S., E.K. Urban, and C.H. Fry (eds.) 1992� The birds of Africa, vol. 4. London:Academic Press, 609 pp. Lambert, F. and M. Woodcock. 1996. Pittas, broadbills and asities. Sussex: Pica Press, 271 pp.

Seth-Smith Birds