The identity of five type-specimens of New Guinean birds

Abstract

The identity of five names of New Guinean birds is clarified by reference to their types. Cyclopsitta Reichenbach is based on the species conventionally known as Opopsitta diophthalma and is the earliest valid generic name for it. Meliornis schistacea De Vis, of which the type was thought lost, is a synonym of Ptiloprora plumbea (Salvadori). Glyciphila nisoria Salvadori is a synonym of Certhionyx niger (Gould), the type having been mislabelled as coming from New Guinea. Melanocharis arfakiana (Finsch) is re-assessed according to the possibility that it is a carotenoid-pigmented or xanthochroistic morph of Melanocharis nigra (Lesson) or a hybrid between M. nigra and M. longicauda; this seems unlikely. The type of Neneba prasina De Vis, believed to be the senior synonym for the white-tailed forms of Melanocharis striativentris Salvadori described as the subspecies albicauda by Mayr and Gilliard in eastern New Guinea, is plain-tailed; white-tailed individuals of Melanocharis striativentris in eastern New Guinea appear to be adult males and the character one of sexual dimorphism.