Melithreptus flavicans Vieillot

Jansen, Justin J. F. J., 2017, Rene Mauge's ornithological collections from Kupang Bay, West-Timor, Indonesia, August-November 1801, with special regard to type-specimens, Zoosystematics and Evolution 93 (2), pp. 467-492 : 474

Melithreptus flavicans Vieillot

Melithreptus flavicans Vieillot, 1817, Nouv. Dict. Nat. éd. 14: 325 (Nouvelle-Hollande).

Lichmera flavicans (Vieillot, 1817). See Hellmayr 1916: 102. - Now.

Type materials.

SYNTYPE: MNHN-ZO-2010-462 [MNHN A.C. 10176], adult, near Kupang Bay, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, West-Timor (10°11'0"S; 123°35'0"E), between 22 August and 13 November 1801, by René Maugé.

Pedestal underside: Timor / Exp. Baudin / Le Naturaliste / Péron et Lesueur / an XI / 10176 No 29 / Ptilotis / Ptilotis flavicans V. / Type. Pedestal label: Ptilotis flavicans / Type (Vieill.) / Exp. Baudin Timor.

SYNTYPE: MNHN-ZO-2010-463 [MNHN A.C. 10177], adult, near Kupang Bay, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, West-Timor (10°11'0"S; 123°35'0"E), between 22 August and 13 November 1801, by René Maugé.

Pedestal underside: Timor / Cte Naturaliste / Cap. Baudin / an XI / 10177 / Ptilotis flavicans / V. / Type. Pedestal label: Ptilotis flavicans / Type (Vieill.) / Exp. Baudin Timor.

Comments.

Vieillot did not describe how many birds were involved and where they were examined. They were the only two specimens in the MNHN (MNHN Laboratory, ZMO-GalOis 4). The syntypes also formed the basis for Meliphaga maculata Temminck 1820. The type locality is erroneous (Nouvelle-Hollande), and therefore corrected and restricted to: West-Timor, near Kupang Bay (article 76a.2.A (ICZN 1999)). Vieillot named this species Ptilotis flavicans or 'becoming yellow’ ( Jobling 2017).