More than just a name: Colonel Messager and his correspondents

ABSTRACT We present a brief biography of Louis Gabriel Martin Messager, a French military who served in several French colonies during the last part of the 19th century and who is mentioned several time in the malacological literature as ‘Colonel Messager’. We present details on his collecting activities, also reflected in his correspondence to Bavay and Martel, and illustrated by some samples from his former collection. Also a list of eponyms is included.


INtrodUCtIoN
The name 'Messager' is well-known to people involved in eastern Asian molluscs, especially those working on the fauna of Vietnam, southern China, Laos and Cambodia. However, for many of these people Messager has remained just a name as he was always referred to as 'Colonel Messager' in papers where material he collected was presented. Until recently nothing more was known about him than the year of his death (Anonymous 1916). dance (1986( : 218) mentioned "Messager -(d.1915 Paris Mus. ex coll. denis. types of new spp. described from Messager's material by Bavay & dautzenberg in Paris mus. (J. C.)."; duchamps (1999) mentioned his name as one of the contacts of Henri Martel. Breure (2015: 104) disclosed that his full name was Louis Gabriel Martin Messager, who lived from 1852 to 1915, based on a funeral card found in the dautzenberg archive, royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium (rBINS). Inside this archive we have found two other sources that document part of the (malacological) life of Messager: his correspondence to respectively to Bavay and to Martel. This allows us now to present more data on this ardent collector. We believe that knowing more about the corresponding, collecting and exchanging activity of Messager will add important insights to the species collected by him and described by others, and would even help clarifying the type status of some of his samples. Although both the funeral card mentioned above and docu ments available in the archives of the 'Légion d'honneur' mentioned his third first name as Martin, we found in the Paris museum (MNHN) a business card with the name Marcel Messager (Fig. 2). Since the handwriting of Messager is also on this card, there is undoubtedly a link but we have been unable to find further details.  & dautzenberg, 1904: 207, pl. 8, fig. 8. Pachydrobia messageri Bavay & dautzenberg, 1912: 34, pl. 3, figs 12, 13. Plectopylis messageri Gude, 1909: 214-215., pl. 9, figs 4, 4a, b. Stenothyra messageri Bavay & dautzenberg, 1900: 116. Streptaxis messageri Bavay & dautzenberg, 1909: 229. Unio messageri Bavay & dautzenberg, 1901 A reconstruction of his contAct network Since Messager never published himself, his contact network is difficult to trace and only archival sources can be used to try and produce a partial reconstruction. We have found data for the following persons; after each correspondent to whom Messager addressed his letters, the place(s) of dispatch, period of contact, and number of letters sent by Messager is presented.
If we follow the hypothesis of Breure (2017), we may assume that Messager was also in contact with César Marie Félix Ancey . Messager send samples to Gerard Pierre Laurent Kalshoven Gude  and Gude (1909) mentioned that they were in correspondence. See also below for additional notes and potential contacts of Messager.

MAGNItUde oF MeSSAGer'S CoLLeCtING ACtIVIty
Most of Messager's samples housed in the Paris museum (MNHN) are extraordinarily large, often containing thousands of shells. It is probable that Messager did not collect all the specimens by himself, but as a military leader, possibly ordered others to collect shells for him (see also below, letter to Bavay, 16 March 1900). In his lists of shipments he often indicated that a species was 'rare' but that he had dozens of them or even 100's specimens.
Shells collected by Messager can be found in most major european museums, acquired via personal collections. As far as we could see, he sent only a few shells, often a single shell to naturalists, even if he possessed hundreds or thousands of specimens (Figs 3-7). Therefore, most species described from his collection are represented in type collections only by a few shells. For example, during the revision of Vietnamese Plectopylidae (Páll-Gergely et al. 2015) we examined 1123 shells of Gudeodiscus phlyarius (Mabille, 1887) from the border region of Vietnam and China (described as Plectopylis anterides Gude, 1909, P. fallax Gude, 1909and P. gouldingi Gude, 1909 in multiple museum collections. These specimens were most probably all collected by Messager. despite this large number, only c. 12 shells were examined by Gude for his descriptions. Furthermore, a single shell is present in the type collection of the MNHN of Alycaeus Messager's samples in his own collection is now deposited in the MNHN, and labelled in his handwriting. However, original labels from Messager are very rare in other museum collections. Most samples that originated from him do not have his own labels. This is even true in the cases of types described by Bavay & dautzenberg in the MNHN and Gude in the NHM. We can assume that Bavay, dautzenberg and Gude threw away Messager's labels, or the specimen data were included only in Messager's letters. However, it is not the case in the rBINS, where in many cases dautzenberg kept the original Messager labels and noted on his own labels the date when he received the material (e.g. reference to Messager's letter + number in the species list). Most original labels we found in museum collections are from the collection of Hermann rolle , which are deposited in the SMF (through the collection of C. Bosch), and in the Naturhitorisches Museum (Vienna, Austria) through Leo rušnov (families Plectopylidae, Pupinidae, Alycaeidae). We found an original Messager label in the collection of Bernard richard Lucas (1864-1941Pseudopomatias maasseni Páll-Gergely & Hunyadi, 2015). Another sample with Messager's original label is from the collection of Bonnet, André C. (? -1912): Dioryx dautzenbergi Páll-Gergely, 2017 (SMF 109773). The multiple original labels of Messager in rolle's collection suggest that they exchanged shells directly. As a consequence, we can state that probably Messager did not exchange much with collectors, but his material was distributed among collectors after his death.
tHe CorreSPoNdeNCe oF MeSSAGer correspondence with bAvAy (1897-1905) The first letter from Messager that is retained in the Bavay archive was sent from Hanoi. It is dated the 4 th december 1897. He stated that several packages sent to him contained 62 species of terrestrial and fluviatile molluscs from tonkin, mostly collected around Long-Son and That-Khé. All species had been numbered. He added that Mrs Granger and Coudier had received a similar shipment. It is the rarest species and in the lowest numbers he has sent. He also informed him of his recent promotion to Commander whilst in Bac-Kan. It is a vast territory and he hoped for nice conchological findings there.
on 17   According to the letter of 9 th March 1899, dautzenberg had written to Messager he had asked to Bavay to return the shells of which there was a voucher. "Grand merci". Is sending him 15 samples, partly in tubes, partly in small boxes, which due to lack of names have been numbered. Letter 15 th october 1899. He discussed his material collected from tonkin "dorment dans leur boites" [still in their boxes], and excused himself for not having responded to Bavay's letter of 28 th July. As he assumes Bavay knew that Mr Granger from Bordeaux has sold his collection of recent shells to Sowerby, and his collection of fossils for an agreeable price to Messager. Sowerby had asked him to start exchanging material, but Messager had sent him a neutral response. He has received a shell catalogue of the 'Maison Boubée', of which Jousseaume, who had visited him, told him that they are not interesting. He is afraid that if he sends nice specimens to Sowerby, he will not receive equally nice ones in exchange.
24 th November 1899. He announced his upcoming visit to Paris 28 th -30 th November to attend the sale of the Crosse collection. He will also inform dautzenberg.
12 th January 1900. He asked if Bavay had already had time to study the fluviatile material he had sent. Sowerby has written to him again about exchanges; he would like to have the names of material that will be published in the Journal de Conchyliologie. Mr Géret, employee of deyrolle, has asked him if he could have his name attached to a new species. As Messager has known him for many years, this would be a nice thing to do. [list of localities] 27 th January 1900. He states that he has sent him everything he has collected in tonkin, except fluviatile specimens. If Bavay can give him the numbers of the material that Bavay will not treat, he can communicate them to Sowerby. He would like to see all his tonkin material dealt with in the Journal de Conchyliologie. He will not depart before August or September to go to tonkin or Madagascar. He included in his sending [see list of shipment] several singletons from the sale of the Crosse collection, of which he did not know their names and hoped that Bavay might give him an identification. Asked to request dautzenberg to send him the types, which he kept for the Coll. 'JdeC', he then can look if he has doubles and return the types. [list of shipment]. 8 th February 1900. Sending Bavay additional material of Clausiliidae. Including shells from Peru, Chile and New Caledonia that were given without a name by a friend to him. He has very few shells from the Philippines and none from Australia. From the shells in tubes some are without locality; they may be from the Antilles.  Further Helicina from New Caledonia, tahiti and the Society Islands is also included. If Bavay has identified the Paludina material and he would like him to return the specimens "entendez-vous à ce sujet avec Monsieur dautzenberg à qui j'ai écris la semaine dernière. Il vous a communiqué ou bien vous communiquera ce que je lui ai dit au Monsieur Ancey à qui je viens de faire un premier envoi des espèces tonkinaises. Il s'est recommandé de vous pour entrer en relation avec moi" [you [will] hear about it from Mr dautzenberg to whom I wrote last week. With good will he communicated to you what I told him about Monsieur Ancey, to whom I have just made a first sending of the tonkinese species. He recommended you to get in touch with me]. Messager's departure is nearing. He had hoped to see the third paper with the description of 23 species. does he have reprints of the second paper? 24 th November 1904. He promised to send him the recently collected material from tonkin shortly. As requested by Ancey he has sent him material from tonkin. 20 th January 1905. He will spend four days in Paris. He had started to become interested in all shells, especially from tanganyika and the Pacific ocean areas, and wanted to know the specific interests of Martel to avoid sending him material that was not useful for him.
Three days later Messager wrote that their letters and shipments had crossed. The sending of Martel arrived in perfect state, and he thanked him for the species sent, which were all new to him. Because he had not had the time to send all of the material to Bavay and dautzenberg, he will send specimens to Martel without their names, which will follow at a later stage; always two specimens of a species. If there is anything Martel wanted to have, he could ask for it. Mr dautzenberg is going to publish about Clausiliidae from tonkin in the Journal de Conchyliologie.
In his next letter, dated 11 th November, Messager explained again why there were so many shells without a name; Bavay and dautzenberg still had to describe them. This was the reason why he had listed them with numbers. He asked if Martel would also like to receive small species, like Diplommatina, etc. on the 4 th January 1900 Messager announced he had sent additional material from tonkin and Senegal. Among the former there is material from Hybocystis and Cyclophorus courbeti, and is among the best he can give. Martel, Bavay, and dautzenberg thus have the best series of these two genera that existed in collections at that time. These genera are, according to Messager, very variable. He hoped that Martel would find among the material from Senegal, species he was still missing. Since Messager has little material from either side of the Channel, he will be grateful for anything that Martel can offer him, especially small species. The same day, Messager sent his Melania material from tonkin to Bavay; when he has identified them he will give their names to Martel. The same applied to material which dautzenberg had for identification.
In his letter dated 4 th March 1900, Messager thanked Martel for his shipment. He had little material of the region of Cancale, especially smaller species, and would be grateful to receive anything. Bavay and dautzenberg are going to describe 25 new species from his material in a future issue of the Journal de Conchyliologie. Martel's son had been in French Guiana, but in the vicinity of Cayenne there were few non-marine species to find, but he has sent at least Bulimus oblongus [Strophocheilus], which is a common species there.
The next letter was dated 2 nd April 1908. After a long silence he finally wanted to give a sign of life. At the end of 1907 he returned from tonkin, where he visited Lao-Kay on the border of yunnan. He has made additional collections of land and freshwater species, and he had already sent part of the material to Bavay and dautzenberg. to make good for the long silence he sent him a number of shells.
on the 22 nd April 1908, Messager thanked Martel for acknowledging his shipment. From Bac-Kan he has made trip into yunnan. He explained the whereabouts of the locality "Maryarya", and asked for new material from tanganyika.
In his last letter -dated 25 th July 1908 -Messager, since the Clausiliidae paper had not yet been issued, has sent him the names that Bavay & dautzenberg had given him. He has added some species that have already been described.
correspondence with dAutzenberg (1904) The only letter extant in the dautzenberg autograph collection was sent the 12 th July 1904, on paper with the letterhead of the casino in Fouras-les-Bains, which is close to rochefort-sur-Mer. Messager wrote "depuis ma chûte de cheval, je suis devenu neurasthénique et je suis souvent si déprimé, si découragé, si lotique que je n'ai pas la force de prendre la plume pour me rappeler aussi souvent que je le devrais au souvenir de mes amis" [Since my fall of a horse, I became neurasthenic and I am often so depressed, so discouraged, so lotique that I do not have the strength to take a pen to remember as often as I should remember my friends] (Fig. 8). He continued by thanking dautzenberg for sending him reprints. He still enjoys looking at his collection, which has a catalogue of 22 000 species and varieties. He still made exchanges and gifts, mentioning to have sent Cyclophorus shells to Caziot. He still had two lots of shells which he considered new, and which he will put at dautzenberg's disposal if he wanted them.
correspondence with gude And Ancey one of us (BPG) searched for correspondence from Messager with Gude in the archives of the London museum, but nothing was found. We have been unable to locate letters addressed to Ancey.
remArk All transcribed lists in the Appendix 1 were written by Messager (they correspond to letters by him to Bavay, generally of the same date), except the last list (without date) which was written by Bavay. Between { } transcription of notes made by Bavay. Between square brackets (partly) illegible words or uncertainties in the transcription have been indicated. The documents form part of the dautzenberg archive in the Brussels museum.