Coraphites leucopareia G.A. Fischer & Reichenow, 1884a: 55

Frahnert, Sylke, Turner, Donald A. & Bracker, Cordula, 2023, Type specimens and type localities of birds (Aves) collected by Gustav Adolf Fischer (1848 - 1886) in East Africa, Zootaxa 5334 (1), pp. 1-84 : 29-30

Coraphites leucopareia G.A. Fischer & Reichenow, 1884a: 55 .

Now: Eremopterix leucopareia (G.A. Fischer & Reichenow, 1884) . See Mayr & Greenway (1960: 32); White (1961: 46).

Syntype (missing): ZMB 27022 (B 18629, Fischer no. 881), male, collected at Nguruman, 21.06.[1883].

Syntype: ZMH 6878 I (Fischer no. 710), skin, former mount, male, collected at “Klein-Aruscha”, 14.03.1883 .

Syntype: ZMH 6878 II (Fischer no. 882), skin, former mount, female, collected at “Salzsteppe bei Nguruman”, 22.06.1883 .

Type locality: Nguruman [Nguruman salzsteppe = near the base of the Nguruman Escarpment, probably at Lake Magadi, Kajiado County, Kenya] and “Klein-Aruscha” [Arusha Chini, Arusha Region, Tanzania], from the original description and localities of the syntypes.

Remarks: In the original description, no type was chosen and there were no inventory numbers for specimens provided, but measurements for more than one specimen (“etwa” interpreted as “round”) and the localities “Nguruman” and “Klein-Aruscha” were given. Fischer (1884) listed for this species nos. 710, 881 and 882, also the same measurements as in the original description. Thus, all these specimens are regarded as syntypes for this species. Specimen ZMB 27022 has been lost since at least 1950 when Stresemann and Meise collected information concerning type specimens in the ornithological collection in Berlin. It was probably destroyed during World War II.

Fischer collected his first specimen of this lark (male) on the plains close to “Klein-Aruscha” on 13 March 1883 (Fischer no. 710). Later on his return journey from Naivasha he collected two additional birds (Fischer nos. 881, 882) at a nest (two eggs) on the “Salzsteppe near Nguruman” which is in southern Kenya around the alkaline Lake Magadi (Swahili for Soda) at the base of the Nguruman Hills and close to the Kenya-Tanzania border. The collecting locality of this pair was approximately 1°55’S, 36°10’E (Fischer 1884). ZMH 7688 (wrong number) was mentioned as type for this species with two specimens (nos. 720, 882) by Bolau (1898). The collector’s number 720 was also wrongly mentioned by Bolau (1898) but correct on the original no. 710 label. Fischer (1884) allocated for his no. 720 a specimen of Notauges superbus (Sturnidae) , thus collector’s number 710 is correct for Coraphites leucopareia . ZMB 27022 was inventoried in March 1884 with the note “ex originale”.

Further Fischer specimens of this species: ZMB 2000.10272 (no. 93, male, Usukuma, 01.11.1885) and ZMB 2000.10286 (no.186, female, Kagehi, 04.12.1885) were collected in 1885, too late to be types for this species, and they have different localities to those given in the description .