Motacilla Maderaspatensis Bird
Motacilla Maderaspatensis Bird
English Name:
Latin Name:
Protonym: Motacilla madaraspatensis Syst.Nat. 1 pt2 p.961
Taxonomy: Passeriformes / Motacillidae / Motacilla
Taxonomy Code: whbwag1
Type Locality: India.
Author: Gmelin, JF
Publish Year: 1789
IUCN Status: Least Concern
DEFINITIONS
MOTACILLA
(Motacillidae; Ϯ White Wagtail M. alba) Late Med. L. (1555) motacilla pied wagtail < L. motacilla wagtail < Gr. μυττηξ muttēx type of bird mentioned by Hesychius. The mistaken use of -cilla for “tail” in ornithology goes back to mediaeval writers who misread motacilla, Varro’s name for the wagtail ("quod semper movet caudam") and a diminutive from motare to move about or shake (i.e. a little shaker or wagger), as “shaketail”; "99. MOTACILLA. Rostrum subulatum, rectum: Mandibulis subæqualibus. Nares obovatæ. Lingua lacero-emarginata." (Linnaeus 1758);"Motacilla Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, p. 184. Type, by tautonymy, "Motacilla" = M. alba Linnaeus." (Vaurie in Peters 1960, IX, 130). Linnaeus's Motacilla comprised thirty-four species (M. Luscinia, M. Calidris, M. modularis, M. Schœnobænus, M. campestris, M. Curruca, M. Hippolais, M. Salicaria, M. Sylvia, M. Philomela, M. Ficedula, M. alba, M. flava, M. Tiphia, M. Ruticilla, M. hispanica, M. Oenanthe, M. Rubetra, M. Atricapilla, M. Emeria, M. Phœnicurus, M. Erithacus, M. Titys, M. svecica, M. Sialis, M. Velia, M. Spiza, M. Rubecula, M. Troglodytes, M. Regulus, M. Trochilus, M. Acredula, M. Pendulinus, M. minuta). The White Wagtail has a wide range in the Palaearctic, although several subspecies are sometimes treated specifically (e.g. yarrellii, subpersonata, personata, lugens).
Var. Matacilla, Metacilla, Motacilea, Motacitta, Mottacilla, Montacilla, Notacilla, Notorcilla.
Synon. Aguimpia, Atolmodytes, Boarula, Budytes, Calobates, Pallenura, Pecula, Psomophilus, Seisura.
motacilla
L. motacilla wagtail < Gr. μυττηξ muttēx type of bird mentioned by Hesychius (subsp. Myiothlypis fulvicauda, Parkesia).
maderaspatana / maderaspatanus / maderaspatensis
Mod. L. Maderaspatana Maderas / Madrass / Madras / Chennai, India.
● ex “Maderas Rail-Hen” of Ray 1713, “Porphyrio maderaspatanus” of Brisson 1760, “Angoli” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Madras Gallinule” of Latham 1785 (syn. Amaurornis phoenicurus).
● ex “Black and White Wagtail,” and “Forked Wagtail” of Ray 1713, “Motacilla maderaspatana” of Brisson 1760, “Bergeronnette de Madras” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Pied Wagtail” of Latham 1783 (Motacilla).
● ex “Partridge-Snipe” of Ray 1713, “Gallinago maderaspatana” of Brisson 1760, “Bécassine de Madras” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Madras Snipe” of Latham 1785 (syn. Rostratula benghalensis).
● Erroneous TL. Maderaspatana (= Madagascar); ex “Ficedula madagascariensis minor” of Brisson 1760 (Zosterops).
UPPERCASE: current genus
Uppercase first letter: generic synonym
● and ● See: generic homonyms
lowercase: species and subspecies
●: early names, variants, mispellings
‡: extinct
†: type species
Gr.: ancient Greek
L.: Latin
<: derived from
syn: synonym of
/: separates historical and modern geographic names
ex: based on
TL: type locality
OD: original diagnosis (genus) or original description (species)