Pražák, 1897e : 347
Nomenclatural and taxonomic status of bird taxa (Aves) described by an ornithological swindler, Josef Prokop Pražák (1870 – 1904)
Mlíkovský, Jiří
Zootaxa
2011
3005
45
68
Prazak
Prazak
[151,612,1839,1865]
Aves
Paridae
Lophophanes
Animalia
Passeriformes
11
56
Chordata
subSpecies
cristatus
scotica
Remarks. Pražák (1897e: 347, footnote)said that he based this form on “die schottischen Exemplare” (“the Scottish specimens”), without explanation. The NHMW and VTH had no Parus cristatusfrom Scotlandwhen Pražák studied tits there in 1893–1895. However, Pražák (1897e: 347, footnote)added the description of scoticaduring proofreading of the second part of his forthcoming treatise of the birds of Austrian East Galicia (published in the July issue of Journal für Ornithologie), when he worked in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is thus highly probable that Pražák based his scoticaon specimens he examined in NMS, where the five specimens listed above could have been at his disposal (B. McGowan, in litt. 2010). Of these, four specimens were catalogued and Pražák may well have seen them. However, the Rothiemurchus specimen was not catalogued and it is thus uncertain whether Pražák examined it. Thus, I consider the three Gray specimens and the Evans specimen as syntypesof Lophophanes cristatus scoticaPražák. The typestatus of the Rothiemurchus specimen is uncertain. Pražák (1898a: 347, footnote)spoke about “Scottish” specimens, which makes Scotlandthe typelocality. Clancey (1948: 108)restricted the typelocality to “Strath Spey, Scotland”. None of the four syntypesbears an exact locality. However, Lophophanes cristatus scoticus(Pražák)is a range-restricted subspecies whose range includes the region of Strathspey, Scotland”. Nevertheless, there is nothing in Pražák’s writings and nothing in NMS files (B. McGowan, in litt. 2010) that would allow restriction of the typelocality of this form to Strathspey. Clancey’s (1948) restriction is thus invalid and the typelocality of Lophophanes cristatus scoticaPražákcontinues to be the whole range of the subspecies.