Megalophonus massaicus G.A. Fischer & Reichenow, 1884a: 55

Frahnert, Sylke, Turner, Donald A. & Bracker, Cordula, 2023, Type specimens and type localities of birds (Aves) collected by Gustav Adolf Fischer (1848 - 1886) in East Africa, Zootaxa 5334 (1), pp. 1-84 : 30

Megalophonus massaicus G.A. Fischer & Reichenow, 1884a: 55 .

Now: Calendulauda poecilosterna (Reichenow, 1879) . See Mayr & Greenway (1960: 21).

Syntype: ZMB 27560 (B 18627, Fischer no. 975), skin, former mount, female, collected at “Klein-Aruscha”, 01.08.1883 .

Syntype: ZMH 6913 (Fischer no. 696), skin, female, collected at “Ebene bei Pare”, 02.03.[18]83 .

Type locality: “ Klein-Arusha” [Arusha Chini, Arusha Region, Tanzania] and plains near the Pare Mountains [plains near South Pare Mts, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania], from the original description and localities of the syntypes.

Remarks: In the original description no type was chosen and there were no inventory numbers for specimens provided, but measurements for more than one specimen (“etwa” interpreted as “approximately”) and the locality “Klein-Aruscha” were given. Fischer (1884) listed for this species two specimens (nos. 975 and 696). The measurements in the original description are identical with those of ZMH 6913 (except the total length), but Fischer (1884) further wrote that no. 975 has “Oberkopf ausgesprochen grau und zeigt eine Andeutung einer dunkleren Längsstrichelung” [top of the head very grey and a slight…], identical with “Oberkopf grauer” [top of the head very grey] in the original description. As “Klein-Aruscha” is situated on the plains to the west of the Pare Mountains, and as Fischer (1884) stated for both specimens “Ebene am Pare Gebirge” (plains near Pare Mountains), both are regarded as syntypes. ZMH 6913 was not mentioned as type for this species in Bolau (1898), but was referred to as a paratype for Megalophonus massaica in the ZMH catalogue.

Fischer collected his first specimen (02.03.1883) close to the South Pare Mountains where he spent one week (1–7 March) at approximately 3°46’S, 37°37’E. He arrived at “Klein-Aruscha” on 14.03.1883. The second specimen (01.08.1883) was collected on his return journey on the plains to the south of “Klein-Aruscha”, which are to the west of the North Pare Mountains, at approximately 3°40’S, 37°30’E.