Shufeldt on Heilmann (1914-6)

In 1914 and 1916, respectively, an American ornithologist by the name of Shufeldt published two letters in the American ornithological journal The Auk. The first was a call for material to be used by Heilmann for the initial publication of the Origin of Birds articles in DOFT, the second was an announcement of an upcoming English translation of the book.<

In the introduction to the 1926 (UK) and 1927 (US) editions of The Origin of Birds, Heilmann states:

“I am under great obligation for much valuable assistance from Dr. R.W. Shufeldt of Washington, who has taken the pains of furnishing photographs of rare specimens, specially for this work”. It should also be noted that Shufeldt consistently refers to Heilmann as an ‘ornithologist’, which he wasn’t (not by qualification in any case).

Heilmann never attempts to correct him.

Researches of Gerhard Heilmann on the Origin of Birds.

EDITOR of ‘The Auk’:

Last autumn my attention was called to the unusual and very excellent work now being published by the Danish ornithologist, Mr. Gerhard Heilmann, of Copenhagen. Through my correspondence with this painstaking researcher, it came about that I was in a position to be of some slight service to him in this country in securing the data of literature and other material.

Mr. Heilmann still stands in need of some similar assistance, a part of which I have been unable to secure for him in Washington. The literature gives no trouble as we have large libraries here; but I should very much like to borrow, for short periods of time and for the purpose of making photographs, some of the following specimens, namely, (1) a good example of a nestling Hoatzin (Opisthocomus cristatus) in alcohol; (2) specimens, also in alcohol, of the male reproductive organs of any of the ratite birds but especially of the common ostrich; (3) microscopic slides of the spermatozoa of any of the Ratitae or of reptiles; (4) alcoholic specimens of anything showing the pecten of the eye in birds or reptiles, and (5) any other specimens along similar lines. For the loan of such material I will be glad to meet the expense both ways, and full credit will be given to the individual or institution loaning it in Mr. Heilmann’s forthcoming work, which is now in hand and in part published.

This work has the general title of “Our present knowledge in regard to the origin of Birds,” and is published in Danish in The Journal of the Ornithological Society of Denmark (Copenhagen). It is profusely illustrated by drawings made by the author and selected from the works of other authorities on the subject. Parts I and II have already appeared, the first in Haefte I and II, Vol. 7, Jan. 1913, and the second in Haefte I and II, Vol. 8, Oct., 1913. There is an excellent introduction to these researches in Part I, wherein the contributions of Lütken, Huxley, Balfour, and others are quoted and compared. Chapter I is a classic in itself, for all the early bird-forms are compared and beautifully figured, such as Archaeopteryx, Hesperornis, Phororhacus, Pachyornis and numerous others, full credit being given to Marsh, Owen, Dames, Brehm, Sternberg, and others.

Part II is a remarkable production, treating, as it does, of the “Resemblances between Aves and ancient or prehistoric Reptiles.” The figures are extremely interesting, and the labors of Cope, Cuvier, and many other authorities are compared. In Section II of this chapter, wherein the principal species of Dinosaurs are taken up, Mr. Heilmann gives us some of his own very clever restorations, and the works of Dollo, Pycraft, and many others are reviewed and compared in commendable detail.

An almost unique feature of the work, as thus far published, is the comparison of the modes of locomotion in birds and reptiles, existing and extinct. Here the admirable studies of Saville Kent and others come into play with striking examples to illustrate the author’s views. Work of Americans in these fields is used with good effect, a-, the contributions by Schuchert, Lull, Eaton, Osborn, and others.

Mr. Heilmann intends to complete this work in five Parts; the next Part (III) will be devoted to comparative embryology” Part IV, to the Anatomy and Biology of Aves and Reptilia, and, finally, Part V, to a recapitulation and summing up of conclusions. Mr. Heilmann has extended to me the right to bring this work out in English; and should my time admit of it, after the Parts have all appeared, I trust to be able to do so. In the meantime, however, I hope our application for assistance in the matter of material, as set forth in this letter, will result in obtaining in this country what has been asked for above.

Faithfully yours,

R. W. Shufeldt

3356-18th Street, Washington, D. C. January 8th, 1914.

CORRESPONDENCE – Present Work of Gerhard Heilmann.

Editor of ‘The Auk,’

It requires over a month to get a letter through from Denmark in these days of the senseless and destructive war in Europe. MY last one from the distinguished Danish ornithologist, Gerhard Heilmann was posted at the Sanatorium on the Nakkebölle Fjord, On the north coast of Denmark, on the 12th of last, July, and it did not come into my hands until the 15th of August; it bad been opened by -in English censor and resealed (No. 4108).

This letter contains some very interesting notes that go to show that ornithology is not entirely extinct in Europe in these turbulent times. Among other matters, Mr. Heilmann writes me that lie has built for himself on the shore of the fjord, a small, one-room house of wood (3 x 5 meters), with a glass skylight. In this lie paints his magnificent bird pictures (hiring all kinds of weather. As he was penning big letter to me in this room, gulls and terns were constantly passing over his glass roof, and from his small window lie could see yellow-hammers, black-birds, goldfinches, two species of wagtails (white and yellow), linnets, “and also a single nightingale seeking food for its young in its nest in the meadow near by.” He says further that during June (1916), the woods immediately to the rear of his but was filled with many kinds of birds, and their “morning concert was marvelous.”

In addition to this but he has built himself a very large wire aviary for gulls and ducks. This structure extends out over the waters of the fjord for a distance of fifteen meters, so that, when he is sitting in this cage, lie can study many species of land and water birds at very close range. Ile is taking extensive notes on the variations they exhibit, as they fly, swim, or walk close to him. To study the big birds of prey, he has built a still larger cage, and he contemplates the building of one as big as both the, others combined, in the near future, in which he will keep for study .1 number of species of the herons of Europe.

Mr. Heilmann will soon publish an article in Copenhagen on Podiceps griseigena, which be has painted life size, swimming under the surface of the water, “a very difficult task.” This article will be beautifully illustrated by half-tones (colored) of the living bird, with other illustrations.

I believe it will be of interest to American ornithologists to learn that Mr. Heilmann has given to Mrs. Shufeldt and myself the sole right of translating into English his superb work on ‘The Origin of Birds,’ which, when published, will be the only English translation of the volume. Arrangements have been made with its original publishers at Copenhagen to send on the blocks for the 215 figures illustrating the work; so that now is only required a reliable publishing house in this country, willing to undertake the enterprise, when the labor of translating from Danish into English will be entered upon, and the work pushed to a finish as rapidly as possible. When issued this work will be of the greatest value to all English speaking ornithologists, and to avian palaeontologists as well.

Faithfully yours,

R. W. Shufeldt.

3356-18th Street, Washington, D. C. August 18, 1916.