A Mistake in Wilson's China: A Century On

As I wrote below, I am really enjoying Wilson's China:  A Century On.  The authors, Mark Flanagan and Tony Kirkham, do a great job in reconstructing Wilson's travels through Sichuan, showing both the change and remarkable continuity in the landscapes Wilson visited a century earlier.

But I've found an odd error in the text.  At the end of chapter four, "The Dreaded Pan-Lan Shan," the authors state, "Other writers have concluded that the thirtieth person [in Wilson's caravan] must have been Walter Zappey, a naturalist from the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, who accompanied Wilson on his third trip primarily to collect specimens of the avifauna.  That Wilson makes no reference to him at all in his formal account of this journey is most extraordinary."

And in the caption of a picture of Wilson and Zappey on the opposite page, the authors state, "Though apparently enjoying a harmonious relationship in China, Wilson makes scant reference to Zappey nor does he particularly acknowledge Zappey's achievements in the field of zoology."

I found this curious, because Wilson does relate extensive details of Zappey's work in Part II of A Naturalist in Western China, in the five chapters called "Sport in Western China."

First, he states clearly that Zappey accompanied him on his journey and praises his efforts on page 106:

During the years 1907-09, the expedition under my charge paid particular attention to the fauna, and amassed a collection of some 3135 birds, skins of 370 mammals, and specimens of various reptiles and fishes. My associate on this particular expedition, Mr. Walter R. Zappey, had especial charge of collecting the work in this department, and it speaks volumes for his enthusiasm, untiring energy, and skills that in so short a time he succeeded in making such a magnificent collection.

Later, Wilson mentions Zappey's collection of a Reeves Pheasant (p. 114),  a new species of Blood Pheasant (p. 118), a Chinese Takin (p. 154), a Musk Deer (p. 170), River Deer (p. 172) and a short-tailed Baboon (p. 192).  He notes that Zappey considers the Pheasant Grouse "the finest for the table of all gallinaceous birds found in Western China" (p. 125).  He relates how he and Zappey went on a duck hunting trip by raft from Yachou to Kiating in December 1908--"Although the bag was not large the excitement was fun and immense" (p. 142).  He talks at length about Zappey's efforts to secure specimens of Serow (p. 147-149) and relates an appreciative anecdote about Zappey as they travelled up river through the famous gorges of the Yangtze (p. 151-152):

On our journey up river to west Szechuan in late March 1908 we were sailing up through the Wushan Gorge enjoying a moderately strong, fair wind, and were just off the hamlet of Nanmu-yuan. My companion, Mr. Zappey, was seated on the prow of the boat, and with this field-glasses scanning the cliffs from time to time. "This looks ideal country for Goral," he said to me, standing near him; "has anyone ever seen them hereabouts?" "I don't know, but there is no record of anyone having shot one," I replied. Scarcely had the words left my mouth when Zappey quietly said, "There's one!" He rushed into the cabin and secured his rifle; meanwhile the crew shortened sail. The animal stood under the lee of a cliff some 500 feet above the river; it was about 4:30 in the afternoon. There was considerable weigh on the boat, and Zappey's first shot struck a little above and in front of the Goral, and the beast scarcely heeded it. The second shot was again a little high, and immediately in front, and the animal swung around, ran a few yards, and then stopped, half facing us. The third shot found its mark; the soft-nosed bullet passed anglewise through the jugular vein far into the body, and the Goral sank stone dead in his tracks. It was a pretty shot, and, from the motion of the boat, not an easy one. But the good fortune did not end here. This Gorge is some 30 miles long, and throughout its entire length there are scarcely half a dozen places where it is possible to scale the cliffs to any height above high-water mark. This was one of the few places! Willing feet rushed up the cliffside, and in about twenty minutes the Goral was landed on deck. It proved to be a fine male. Our crew were delighted, and the incident afforded conversation for days. They did not allow the result of my companion's prowess to remain one trophy. By the time we reached Chungking, rumour, having fleet wings, had reported a bag of five! The fact will probably form the basis for a legend in these parts, in which at least a score of Goral will be substituted for this solitary trophy (p. 151-152).

The authors of Wilson's China:  A Century On are very familiar with A Naturalist in Western China and quote extensively from Wilson in other contexts, so I'm not sure why they claim that Wilson ignored and slighted Zappey's achievements, when it is clearly not the case.