Rattus colletti (Thomas, 1904)

Wiig, Øystein & Bachmann, Lutz, 2013, The mammal type specimens at the Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Norway, Zootaxa 3736 (5), pp. 587-597 : 596

Mus colletti Thomas, 1904

Novitates Zoologicae, 11, 599.

Valid name. Rattus colletti (Thomas, 1904)

Paratype: NHMO 143 (1834), female, mounted skin, collected by J.T. Tunney at S. Alligator River, Northern Territory, Australia, 6 September 1893.

Remarks. R. Collett received NHMO 143 from the British Museum. This specimen was originally labeled "Co-Typus". At the same time he received NHMO 146, female skin, collected 6 September 1903; NHMO 147 and NHMO 149, juv. skins with craniums, collected 29 August 1903, all three collected at the same locality as NHMO 143. In the handwritten journal of R. Collett they are all denoted as "Co-typus". We have only located NHMO 143. In the original description Thomas (1904) denoted one specimen as the type (B.M. No. 4.4.4.4). This is the holotype according to article 73.1.1. of the Code (ICZN 1999). He also noted that he examined 25 specimens. We assume that the specimens Collett received from British Museum were from the type series and should be labeled paratypes according to Recommendation 73D of the Code (ICZN).