Cyornis cyanopolia Blyth, 1870

Mlíkovský, Jiří, 2011, Nomenclatural notes on Cyornis and Rhinomyias flycatchers (Aves: Muscicapidae) of South-East Asia, Zootaxa 2985, pp. 64-68 : 64-65

Cyornis cyanopolia Blyth, 1870

Heinrich Boie (1794–1827) collected in Java several specimens of a flycatcher which he recognized as new for science and labeled Cyornis cyanopolia . Blyth (1870: 165) studied them in the RMNH in autumn 1869, remarking in his paper: “ Cyornis cyanopolia (Boie) , from Sumatra, Java and Borneo, differs in no respect that I can perceive, whether from recollection or comparison with Dr. Jerdon’s description [= Jerdon 1862: 465], from C. unicolor , nobis [= Blyth 1843: 1007], of the Sikhim Himalaya.” This sentence started a paragraph on Cyornis flycatchers and the name “ Cyornis cyanopolia ” was printed in small caps. This misled many subsequent workers to believe that Blyth (1870) used Cyornis cyanopolia as a valid name for a taxon. Some of them considered the name available for nomenclatural purposes (e.g. Gray 1871: 218; Salvadori 1874: 132; Giebel 1875: 633; Hume 1879: 59; Mees 2004; Quaisser 2010), while others argued that it is a nomen nudum (e.g. Hartert 1902: 550; Dickinson et al. 2002). However, Blyth (1870) clearly said that Boie’s C. cyanopolia is inseparable from his own C. unicolor . Thus, provisions of Art. 11.5. of the Code were not fulfilled (“Names to be valid when proposed.”) and Cyornis cyanopolia Boie was simply listed by Blyth (1870: 165), as a label name, in the synonymy of C. unicolor Blyth, 1843 (Art. 11.6. of the Code). Note that label names were deemed available for nomenclatural purposes in Blyth’s times, and Blyth (1870) thus treated Boie’s Cyornis cyanopolia in this way.

Gray (1871: 218) listed “ cyanopolia, Boie ” in the Index of species names to his Handlist, but was uncertain whether it is a valid species or a synonym of C. unicolor Blyth. Salvadori (1874: 132) seems to have been the first to treat “ Cyornis cyanopolia (Boie) ” as available for nomenclatural purposes and as a valid name for a flycatcher species, thus fulfilling provisions of Art. 11.6.1. of the Code. Herewith, Cyornis cyanopolia became available for nomenclatural purposes with Blyth (1870) as its author (Art. 11.6.1. and Art. 50.7. of the Code).

Blyth (1870) listed no specimens, but it is evident from his paper that he cited specimens labeled in the RMNH as Cyornis cyanopolia Boie. These specimens, all of which belong to a single form, are thus syntypes of Cyornis cyanopolia Blyth, 1870 (Art. 72.4.3. of the Code). Dekker (2003: 68) detailed that the RMNH possesses three such specimens, all collected by Boie in Java: RMNH 89617 (ad. 3), RMNH 89618 (ad. 3) and RMNH 89619 (imm. 3).

Dekker (2003: 69) and Quaisser (2010: 66) believed that specimens RMNH 89620 and RMNH 89621 also belong to the type series of Cyornis cyanopolia Blyth , which is not true (see below). Quaisser (2010: 66) thus suggested that Cyornis cyanopolia Blyth was based on syntypes from different taxa and consequently designated RMNH 89620 as its lectotype. As shown here, RMNH 89620 and RMNH 89621 were not part of the type series upon which Cyornis cyanopolia Blyth was based. Her action is thus invalid (Art. 74.1. of the Code) and the specimen loses its status as lectotype (74.2. of the Code).