The significance of Buffon and Guéneau de Montbeillard’s Histoire naturelle des oiseaux ([1765] - 1783) in the taxonomy of birds: General presentation and correspondence between Buffon’s “ eagles ” and the species acknowledged by Linnaeus (1758, 1766), Brisson (1759 - 1762), and Gmelin (1788 - 1789) Author Schmitt, Stéphane Archives Henri Poincaré, UMR 7117 CNRS - Université de Lorraine - Université de Strasbourg, 91 avenue de la Libération, BP 454, F- 54001 Nancy Cedex (France) stephane _ schmitt @ yahoo. fr schmitt@yahoo.fr Author Gouraud, Christophe ornithocoll@gmail.com text Zoosystema 2024 2024-07-04 46 16 361 409 https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/zoosystema2024v46a16.pdf journal article 299646 10.5252/zoosystema2024v46a16 0e4e840e-6fab-406b-b1af-eb73a7499182 1638-9387 12667134 1B22F210-FDA8-4F91-BFEE-10A8823E2A5D 12. Buffon’s variety of the “Jean-le-blanc” 12.1. Linnaeus (1758) : not considered. 12.2. Brisson (1759a: 367-370 , 1763a: 107 ): “ LANIER BLANC ”, “ LANARIUS ALBICANS ” , species 18 of genus VIII (“Épervier”, “ Accipiter ”), order III, section 1. OBSERVATION . — No direct observation. Description borrowed from Aldrovandi. REFERENCES . — Aldrovandi (1599: 380-382) , “ Lanarius ”, direct observation and various sources; Schwenckfeld (1603: 304) , “ Milvus albus ”, based on Turner and Aldrovandi; Jonston (1657: 12 , pl. IX), “ Lanarius ”, based on Aldrovandi; Sibbald (1684: 15) , “ Milvus albicans. An Lanius albicans ? ” (in a list of Scottish birds) ; Rzączyński (1745: 395) , “ Milvus albus ”, based on Aldrovandi and Schwenckfeld. MODERN IDENTIFICATION . — Doubtful species. Aldrovandi mentioned two “ Lanarii ” and considered them two varieties of the same species: the first one (total length: about 50 cm ) was probably a harrier; the second one, bigger (total length: about 70 cm ), is not identifiable with certainty (the grey, white, and brown color, as well as the longitudinal rusty spots of the belly and beneath the wings evoke a juvenile male harrier too; however, it is not in accordance with the size). Furthermore, these two birds may have been confused, in the other mentioned sources, with other unidentifiable birds of prey. 12.3. Linnaeus (1766) : not considered. 12.4. Buffon in Buffon & Guéneau de Montbeillard (1771a: 134- 135) , quarto edition; (1771b: 105), folio edition: Variety of the “Jean-le-blanc” (see above, 11.4). OBSERVATION . — No direct observation. Short description borrowed from Brisson. REFERENCES . — Aldrovandi (1599: 380-382) ; Schwenckfeld (1603: 304) ; Brisson (1759a: 367) . MODERN IDENTIFICATION . — See Brisson. The identification of the second “ Lanarius ” of Aldrovandi with Buffon’s “Jean-le-Blanc” (i.e., * Circaetus gallicus ) is very improbable. 12.5. Gmelin (1788: 276) : “ FALCO ALBICANS ” G42, S102, order “ Accipitres ”. Includes a variety β. REFERENCES . — Brisson (1763a: 107) ; Aldrovandi (1599: 380- 383); Latham (1781: 87 no. 73), “White Lanner”; based on Brisson and Aldrovandi. REMARK . — Gmelin distinguishes between the two “ Lanarii ” of Aldrovandi; he considers one of them the main species, and the other the variety β; he wonders whether the species itself, “ Falco albicans ”, may be a mere variety of “ Falco Lanarius ” (G42, S24), i.e., Buffon’s “Lanier” (among “falcons” and related species). DISTRIBUTION . — Europe. MODERN IDENTIFICATION . — See Brisson. MODERN NOMENCLATURE . — Falco albicans J. F. Gmelin, 1788 , is a nomen dubium .