Artamus Musschenbroeki Meyer, AB, 1884

Johannessen, Lars Erik & Lifjeld, Jan T., 2022, Type specimens of birds in the Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Norway, Zootaxa 5150 (4), pp. 451-486 : 468-469

Artamus Musschenbroeki Meyer, AB, 1884

Sitzungsberichte und Abhandlungen der Naturwissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft Isis in Dresden, Abhandlungen 1884: 30.

Current name: Artamus leucorynchus musschenbroeki Meyer, AB, 1884

Paralectotype NHMO-BI-68621 [I027304]; Mounted ; Ad.; Johann Gerard Friedrich Riedel , 1881–1883; Indone sia: Timorlaut [Tanimbar Islands]; 7.500° S 131.500° E ; 12a.

Remarks: A label ( Figure 3g ), in the same style as those of the specimens of Eclectus and Geoffroyus mentioned above, is glued under the base of the mount. A hole in this label indicates that it probably had been attached to the specimen by a string previously, which also fits well with the description of the birds from Dresden arriving as study skins (‘Vogelbälge’). In line with the arguments provided for the similar labels above, this is likely to be the original label that accompanied the skin. For reasoning behind the provided collecting date interval, see discussion under Ptilopus flavovirescens above.

Meyer (1884) based his description on 17 specimens from ‘Tenimber et Timorlaut’ (which he defined as the northern/western and southern islands in the Tanimbar Islands, respectively), without assigning any holotype. Meise (1929) assigned specimen C7136, a male from ‘Tenimber’, as ‘typus’ (i.e. a lectotype) and listed seven other paratypes [sic; should be paralectotypes] (all from ‘Timorlaut’) as present in the MTD (now SNSD) ( Table 5 ).

According to Eck & Quaisser (2004) only the lectotype (C7136) and one of the paralectotypes (C7134) are still present in the SNSD collection ( Table 5 ). Four of the original type specimens are confirmed to have been exchanged from MTD to the USNM, MNHN and ZSM (now SNSB) collections, and to ‘Gerrard’, which probably must be the taxidermy firm ‘Edward Gerrard & Sons ’ in London (dates of exchange were provided from the original catalogues by Martin Päckert at the museum in Dresden). The continued presence of all of these, except the ‘Gerrard’ specimen, has been confirmed ( Table 5 ). The current location of C21880 is not known, and also the type status of this specimen seems unclear; it was not mentioned by Eck & Quaisser (2004), is currently not to be found in the SNSD collection, and there is no indication in the MTD/SNSD catalogue of it being a type or that it has been exchanged or lost (Martin Päckert, pers. comm.). Finally, the four remaining paralectotypes mentioned by Meise (1929) were lost during WW2.

While Eck & Quaisser (2004) further noted that nothing was known about the remaining type specimens, there are apparently also three paralectotypes in NHMW (NMW 51.617 –51.619; Pelzeln & Lorenz 1887; Schifter 1990), obtained through Meyer in 1884 (Hans-Martin Berg, pers. comm.). As for the Geoffroyus specimens discussed above, Pelzeln & Lorenz (1887) described them as ‘authentische Exemplare’ but they are noted as ‘type’ in the acquisition catalogue (Hans-Martin Berg, pers. comm.).

Based on information on the label and in the accompanying letter from Meyer, we conclude that the NHMO specimen should be considered one of the paralectotypes of this taxon .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Labels of type specimens (maintained and refuted) in the NHMO Bird Collection described by A.B. Meyer. a) Ptilopus flavovirescens NHMO-BI-59271 (original Dresden label); b) Ptilopus flavovirescens NHMO-BI-59271 (NHMO label); c) Eclectus riedeli NHMO-BI-64131 (original Dresden label); d) Eclectus riedeli NHMO-BI-64132 (original Dresden label); e) Geoffroyus timorlaoënsis NHMO-BI-64130 (original Dresden label); f) Geoffroyus timorlaoënsis NHMO-BI-64228 (original Dresden label); g) Artamus Musschenbroeki NHMO-BI-68621 (original Dresden label).