Mirafra javanica subrufescens Mathews

LeCROY, M. A. R. Y., 2003, TYPE SPECIMENS OF BIRDS IN THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. PART 5. PASSERIFORMES: ALAUDIDAE, HIRUNDINIDAE, MOTACILLIDAE, CAMPEPHAGIDAE, PYCNONOTIDAE, IRENIDAE, LANIIDAE, VANGIDAE, BOMBYCILLIDAE, DULIDAE, CINCLIDAE, TROGLODYTIDAE, AND MIMIDAE, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 278 (278), pp. 1-156 : 5

Mirafra javanica subrufescens Mathews

Mirafra javanica subrufescens Mathews, 1912a: 426 (North­West Australia (Tabba Tabba)).

Now Mirafra javanica woodwardi Milligan, 1901 . See Mees, 1962: 49, and Schodde and Mason, 1999: 714.

HOLOTYPE: AMNH 556350 , female, collected at Tabba Tabba , Western Australia, Australia, on 11 September 1901, by John Thomas Tunney (no. 374). From the Mathews Collection (no. 5191) via the Rothschild Collection.

COMMENTS: Mathews cited his catalog number in the original description. His catalog indicates that he obtained this specimen from WAM; Tunney was employed by WAM as a collector. In 1901, he arrived at Port Hedland on 8 June and on 22 June visited Lewis Island. He then collected for a period on the de Grey and Strelley rivers and sailed for Derby, which he reached on 11 September ( Whittell, 1954:724), the same day on which the holotype was collected. Mees (1962: 49) called attention to the problem connected with the type locality, which he considered to be ‘‘ 15 miles south of Strelley and about 30 miles southeast of Port Hedland’’. Johnstone and Storr (1998: 420) listed Tabba Tabba Creek at 20°20′S, 118°53′E, near the Strelley and de Grey rivers, and the locality Tabba Tabba is also associated with a homestead, mine, and well in the same area of the Pilbara in central northwest Australia ( Australia 1:250,000 map series. Gazetteer, 1975, R. Schodde, personal commun.). Mayr and McEvey (1960: 161) placed Tabba Tabba south of the Fitzroy River, in the Kimberley Division, far to the north, probably based on Whittell’s account; but there is no Tabba Tabba south of the Fitzroy River (R. Johnstone, personal commun.).

Given the date of collection of the holotype of subrufescens and Tunney’s schedule as reported by Whittell (1938: 324–325, 1954: 724), it is of some interest to compare the holotype with specimens of woodwardi and halli. Such comparison shows the color overall to be intermediate between the two subspecies but closer to the richer rufous coloration of woodwardi, thus agreeing with Mees in his assignment of Tabba Tabba birds to woodwardi with intergradation towards halli. Schodde and Mason (1999: 717) also discussed this area of intergradation.

The collecting date and locality are quite clear on the original label, and Whittell’s (1938: 322) information concerning Tunney’s itinerary was derived from Tunney’s notebooks, loaned him by family members. Thus the discrepancy in dates remains a mystery.