Numenius tenuirostris CR

Ghiraldi, Luca & Aimassi, Giorgio, 2019, Extinct and endangered (‘ E & E’) birds in the ornithological collection of the Museum of Zoology of Torino University, Italy, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 139 (1), pp. 28-45 : 37-38

SLENDER-BILLED CURLEW Numenius tenuirostris CR

Numenius tenuirostris Vieillot, 1817

MZUT AV2900 ; mount; immature female; Italy, Piemonte, environs of Torino, 3 September 1828; from Mr Alason .

MZUT AV2901 ; mount; immature female; Italy, Piemonte, environs of Torino, 3 September 1828; from Mr Alason .

MZUT AV6521 ; previously mounted; immature female; Italy, Piemonte, 1868; purchased from Bonomi .

MZUT AV6522 ; previously mounted; immature male; Italy, Piemonte, 1868; purchased from Bonomi .

MZUT AV12247 ; mount; adult male; Italy, Toscana, San Rossore (Pisa), 1875; donated by H. M. Vittorio Emanuele III, in 1901 .

MZUT AV12248 ; mount; adult female; Italy, Toscana, San Rossore (Pisa), 1875; donated by H. M. Vittorio Emanuele III, in 1901 .

MZUT AV12249 ; mount; adult female; Italy, Piemonte, Villastellone (Torino), 1881; donated by H. M. Vittorio Emanuele III, in 1901 .

MZUT AV19577 ; mount; unsexed adult; Italy, Toscana, no date (before 1877); donated by E. Sella, ex. Benvenuti .

Remarks.—Alason assisted F. A. Bonelli (1784–1830) to gather a rich collection of birds from the ‘Sardinian States’, donating to the museum numerous specimens from Piemonte, some of them rare or remarkable ( Salvadori 1915).

The Bonomi family of Milano were known since the early 19th century for their trade in, and taxidermy of, animals, mainly birds, from all over the world. The first representative we are aware of was Carlo Francesco Bonomi, who in 1828 was awarded a gold medal for his business (Anon. 1828). Other taxidermists in the family, which Violani (2009) considered one of the main suppliers of Italian natural history museums, included Enrico, Pietro, Luigi and Clelia. Luigi Bonomi was the first taxidermist for MZUT; on his death, in 1883, his daughter Clelia was named second taxidermist ( ASUT 2011).

Eugenio Sella (1820–82), cousin of the statesman Quintino, donated to the museum a series of 510 specimens of Italian birds in 1877 ( Salvadori 1915).

In 1901 the King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele III (1869–1947), donated a collection of 998 European birds, including those collected by Vittorio Emanuele II, the last King of Sardinia (1849–61) and the first King of Italy (1861–78).