Batis molitor littoralis Neumann, 1907a: 356

Frahnert, Sylke, Louette, Michel & Eckhoff, Pascal, 2021, Type specimens of birds of the genus Batis (Aves: Platysteiridae) at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Zootaxa 5052 (2), pp. 249-260 : 256-257

Batis molitor littoralis Neumann, 1907a: 356

Now: Batis soror ( Reichenow, 1903). See Mayr et al. (1986: 382).

Holotype: ZMB 24759 ( B 15694, Fischer , no. 162), skin, former mount, female, collected by G. A. Fischer on Sansibar, 29.03.76 [1878, error on the museum label as Fischer arrived in Zanzibar in 1877 for the first time].

Paratype: ZMB 23536 ( B 15041, Fischer , no. 83) , mount, female, collected by G. A. Fischer at Mombassa , 26.06.[18]77.

Paratype: ZMB 2000.64515 (Stuhlmann, no. 272), skin, male, collected by F. Stuhlmann on Sansibar, 03.11.1888 .

Possible Paratype (missing): SMNS 10965 female, collected by E. Steudel at Bagamojo, Central Ostafrika, 1893 .

Excluded Paratype ( B. molitor puella ): ZMB 2000.64599 ( B 345 , Röhl, no. 822), skin, male, collected by K. Röhl at Mlalo, [1904‒1906] .

Excluded Paratype ( B. molitor puella ): ZMB 2000.64600 ( B 345 , Röhl, no. 551), skin, female, collected by K. Röhl at Mlalo, [1904‒1906] .

Excluded Paratype ( B. molitor puella ): ZMB 2000.64602 ( B 345 , Röhl, no. 551), skin, male, collected by K. Röhl at Mlalo , [1904‒1906].

Type locality: “ Sansibar und … die gegenüberliegende Küste ” [ Zanzibar and the coast of Tanzania next to Zanzibar, Tanzania], The type locality is ascertained as Zanzibar [ Zanzibar, Tanzania] regarding the locality of the holotype (see Mayr et al. 1986) .

Remarks: In the description ZMB 24759 was chosen as the type specimen and is therefore the holotype. The specimen is characterized by its collecting data given in the description. In summary, there were at least six specimens (characterized by their collecting data) given as studied material. Therefore, these specimens (excluding the holotype) should be regarded as paratypes. Five of them could be traced in the collection in Berlin. The specimen that Neumann had seen at the museum in Stuttgart was inventoried in the SMNS as Batis molitor but is missing today and has been since at least the 1970s (according to the museum inventory). The three specimens (ZMB 2000.64599, ZMB 2000.64600, and ZMB 2000.64602) mentioned by Neumann (1907a) as having been collected by Karl Röhl in Wilhelmsthal (Usambara) [Mlalo/Lushoto, Tanga, Tanzania] arrived as part of a shipment of more than 500 specimens in Berlin in April 1906. They have now been determined as Batis molitor puella and are thus removed from the list of possible paratypes of B. m. littoralis. Neumann (1907a) gave: “ Sansibar und … die gegenüberliegende Küste ” ( Zanzibar and the coast of Tanzania next to Zanzibar [ Tanzania]) as type locality. The type locality of the holotype of Batis molitor littoralis Neumann, 1907a was ascertained as Zanzibar ( Tanzania) (see Mayr et al. 1986).