Viridonia sagittirostris Rothschild

Viridonia sagittirostris Rothschild, 1892: 112 (Mauna Kea, Hawaii, Sandwich Islands).

Now Hemignathus sagittirostris (Rothschild, 1892) . See Rothschild, 1893g: 109–110, pl. 54; Rothschild, 1900: 312; Amadon, 1950: 165; Greenway, 1968: 97; American Ornithologists’ Union, 1998: 674; Dickinson, 2003: 758; Pratt, 2005: 243–244; and Pratt, 2010: 647.

LECTOTYPE: AMNH 453235, adult male, collected on Mauna Kea, 19.50N, 155.25W (Times atlas), Hawaii Island, Hawaii (5 Sandwich Islands), on 30 April 1892, by Henry Palmer (no. 1601). From the Rothschild Collection.

COMMENTS: Rothschild described both male and female but did not designate a type in the original description. Later, he (Rothschild, 1893g: 109) gave measurements for two adult males and two adult females, with one of each sex indicated as the type. This does not give type status to the two specimens. Hartert (1919a: 171) by listing Palmer’s specimen no. 1601 as the type, designated it the lectotype; it was also marked ‘‘Type s’’ by Rothschild. Palmer (Rothschild, 1893g: 109–110) first saw this species on 23 April 1892 and collected a total of four specimens. The following paralectotypes, collected on Hawaii Island by Palmer in 1892, are in AMNH: AMNH 453234 (Palmer no. 1603), male, 10 May; AMNH 453236 (1602), female, 30 April; AMNH 453237 (1604), female, 10 May; it is marked ‘‘Cotype’’ by Rothschild. AMNH 453236 is marked ‘‘Type of ♀ ’’and ‘‘pl. 18’’ by Rothschild; the significance of ‘‘pl. 18’’ is unknown. AMNH 453236 bears an additional label: ‘‘skull, humeri, and one tarsus removed and skin remade by J.P. Angle, USNM. Skull replaced by cast’’ (see Olson et al., 1987).

The genus Viridonia was introduced by Rothschild (1892: 112) at the same time, with sagittirostris the type species.

According to Palmer’s diary (Rothschild, 1900: (Di)), from early April to 12 May, Palmer was confined to the home of Mr. Hitchcock in Hilo, having been kicked by a horse; his assistant, Ted Wolstenholme, however, was sent into the forest (Olson, 2013: 101). On 12 May1892, Palmer left Hilo and moved to a mountain cottage, 7 mi from Hilo, on his way up Mauna Kea.

The species is extinct.