Spizocorys personata Sharpe, 1895

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 : 18-19

[ Spizocorys personata Sharpe ]

COMMENTS: AMNH 555777, adult male, collected at Sasa Baneh, 07°52′N, 43°39′E (Times Atlas), Ethiopia, on 3 (= 2) August 1894, by the A. Donaldson Smith Expedition (no. 125), which came to AMNH from the Rothschild Collection, had been labeled as the type of the above taxon. However, Sharpe (in Donaldson Smith, 1896: 236) noted that Donaldson Smith had presented his types to the British Museum. In the original description, Sharpe (1895: 471) listed only one specimen; Sclater (1930: 335) said the taxon was known only from the type in the British Museum; and Hartert (1919, 1928) did not list it. Warren and Harrison (1971: 430) listed BMNH Reg. no. 1895.7.7.18 as the holotype.

The AMNH specimen bears three labels. The original Donaldson Smith label is dated 2 August 1894, but the 2 has been carefully overwritten with a 3! The Rothschild label has the date 2.viii. 1894 in ink and is unchanged. The Rothschild type label, written by a hand unknown, has ‘‘ Aethocorys personata (Sharpe) ’’ and ‘‘ Aug. 3 rd 1894 ’’. There are three problems with this type label: (1) Sharpe’s name is in parentheses; (2) the genus is given as Aethocorys , whereas Sharpe described personata in Spizocorys ; and (3) the date is written the American way, unlike the dates put on by Rothschild or Hartert. These inconsistencies lead me to conclude that this specimen was noticed when Rothschild named Aethocorys personata intensa (see below) in 1931 (about the time the collection was coming to AMNH), that it was thought to be the only specimen (as listed by Sharpe and later by Sclater), and that the date was then changed to conform to the description and was perhaps only labeled as a type (using an extra Rothschild Collection type label) after arrival of the collection at AMNH. This would also explain why Hartert did not include it in any of his lists.

The existence of a second specimen is an enigma. Obviously, the AMNH specimen has no standing as the type. In confirming the presence of the holotype in BMNH, Michael Walters (in litt.) discovered that it is also dated 2 August 1894. I can only surmise that the published date of 3 August is a misprint.

Aethocorys personata intensa Rothschild Aethocorys personata intensa Rothschild, 1931a: 100

(Chanler’s Falls, N’Guaso Nyiro River).

Now Spizocorys personata intensa (Rothschild, 1931) .

See Keith et al., 1992: 88.

HOLOTYPE: AMNH 557778 , adult male, collected at Chanler’s Falls , 00°48′N, 38°03′E (Times Atlas, spelled ‘‘Chandler’s Falls’’), Nyiro River, Kenya, on 14 December 1920, by Noel van Someren. From the Rothschild Collection.

COMMENTS: The paratype mentioned by Rothschild (1931a: 100) is BMNH 1939.12.9.283 (Michael Walters, in litt.).

Galerita cristata angustistriata Brehm Galerita cristata angustistriata Brehm, 1858: 208

( Spanien, Griechenland und Nubien).

Now Galerida cristata pallida ( Brehm, 1858) . See Hartert, 1918b: 20, and Cramp, 1988: 145.

LECTOTYPE: AMNH 457753 , adult male, collected at Masneu , 41°29′N, 02°19′E (Times Atlas), Spain, on 12 May 1856, by Dr. A.E. Brehm. From the Brehm Collection via the Rothschild Collection.

COMMENTS: Hartert (1918b: 20) noted that Brehm’s angustistriata was a mixture of narrowstriped individuals of different subspecies, and designated this specimen, collected on 12 May 1856, the lectotype, thereby restricting the type locality. There are three additional Spanish specimens. AMNH 457752, with the original ♀ overwritten by ϐ and collected at Zativa, on 12 July 1856, was originally identified as angustistriata by Brehm and is a paralectotype. AMNH 457756, collected at Murcia on 26 September 1856 by A.E. Brehm, and AMNH 457757, collected at Murcia on 7 July 1858 by A.E. Brehm, are possible paralectotypes of this or the next taxon.

Galerita cristata pallida Brehm

Galerita cristata pallida Brehm, 1858: 207 ( Spanien).

Now Galerida cristata pallida ( Brehm, 1858) . See

Cramp, 1988: 145.

LECTOTYPE: AMNH 457754 , adult male, collected at Masneu , 41°29′N, 02°19′E (Times Atlas), Spain, on 8 May 1856, by Dr. A.E. Brehm. From the Brehm Collection via the Rothschild Collection.

COMMENTS: Hartert (1918b: 20) designated the above specimen the lectotype of this taxon. See previous taxon for possible paralectotypes.

Galerida major Brehm

Galerida major Brehm, 1841 : cols. 123, 124 (in der Nähe von Berlin und geht wenigstens bis an die Elbe).

Now Galerida cristata cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) . See

Hartert, 1918b: 20, and Cramp, 1988: 145.

SYNTYPES: AMNH 457741, adult male, and AMNH 457742, female, collected at Oranienburg, 52°46′N, 13°15′E (Times Atlas), near Berlin, Germany, on 21 March 1833, by Fehrmann. From the Brehm Collection via the Rothschild Collection.

COMMENTS: There are only two specimens mentioned in the original description, where they are listed as males. The above male and female are the only two Brehm specimens from this locality that came to the AMNH with the Rothschild Collection. The discrepancy in sexing is probably the result of Brehm’s misreading of his own labels, where a male symbol occurs in the upper left corner of each label, even though it is joined with a female symbol on the label of the female. Hartert (1918b: 20) listed both specimens as ‘‘type’’.