Colonial era geography

In reviewing the original descriptions now (late-2003) made available by the efforts of Donat Agosti, I realised that the geography as understood in the late-19th century was not fully comprehended by modern researchers. In my possesssion I have a copy of the Eton Compendium of Geography, edition published around January 1856, by C.G.N., of King's College, London; the first edition, by Rev. Aaron Arrowsmith, having been published in 1831. I have reproduced the relevant pages - 728 & 729 - below and they can be read by using the buttons. From the descriptions, however, it will be obvious that almost nothing was known by Europeans of any part of away from the coastal area.

Angola

A history of German expeditions in the nineteenth century is given at - http://www.ifeas.uni-mainz.de/workingpapers/Heintze.pdf

Summary of known collectors
Ph Allaer (Bolton,1973b); A de Barros Machado (Brown, 1954k, 1959c, 1964a, Bolton, 1983x); J Bequaert (Santschi, 1919h); Dr M Berr (Santschi, 1937d); Max Buchner (Emery, 1893e; Forel, 1886f); A Cardosa (Bolton, 1980a); Luna de Carvalho (Bolton, 1980, 1983, 1987); J Cruchet (Santschi, 1911g, 1912b, 1930a), with Dr Decorse (Santschi, 1911g); Baum & van der Kellen [H H Braun & Van der Kellen] (Forel, 1901d, 1910e); T D A Cockerell (Bolton, 1980, 1981b, 1987); Dr Falkenstein (Forel, 1886f); A P Ferrao (Bolton, 1973b); Gleiche (Forel, 1901d); G R Gradwell & D Snow (Bolton, 1973b, 1982, 1987); D Hollis (Bolton, 1980, 1981a); B Malkin (Bolton, 1980); Dr A Monard, with J Cruchet (Santschi, 1930a, 1937d); Picardi (Forel, 1910e); [Mission?] Rohan Chabot (Santschi, 1925h, 1926a); E S Ross & K Lorenzen (Bolton, 1978c), E S Ross & R E Leech (Bolton, 1981b); Prof F Silvestri (Santschi, 1914d, 1928f); von Schultze (Stitz, 1910); Creighton Wellman (Forel, 1909b, 1910c); Welwitsch (Radoskowsky, 1881).

Notes

Santschi (1930a) examined ant specimens collected by Dr A Monard during a Swiss expedition to the Rio Kubango (Cubango) area of southern Angola, from September 1928 to the end of January 1929. Santschi separated a total of 73 different forms of ant, including 53 species, 19 races or sub-species and 28 varieties. He separated 5 species, 4 races and 8 varieties that were new.

Santschi cited previous studies of ants from Angola as being -

• Forel (1901d) with 8 species, 2 races and 3 varieties;
• Forel (1909b) species collected in Benguela by Creighton Wellman, with 15 forms, among them 5 species and 3 varieties that were new;
• Forel (1910e, unavailable) 7 forms with 2 species, 2 races and one variety that were new;
• Santschi (1911) with more from Benguela, collected by his late colleague Jean Cruchet, these were 2 species, 5 races and 3 varieties that were new, plus 5 other forms;
• Santschi (1925h) reported ants from the Mission de Rohan-Chabot, comprising 33 forms, without counting several indeterminable males and queens.

All told Santschi (1930b) listed 139 forms - with 93 species, 23 races and 22 varieties, over half coming from Dr Monard's efforts.

Santschi (1937d) described ants collected by Dr Monard during a further expedition, this time to. This second expedition yield up 104 forms, 55 of which had not previously been reported from Angola, of which 28 were new forms - 7 species, 7 stirps and 14 varieties.

List of places visited by Dr Monard -