African Rail

SCI Name:  Rallus caerulescens
Protonym:  Rallus caerulescens Syst.Nat. 1 pt2 p.716
Taxonomy:  Gruiformes / Rallidae / Rallus
Taxonomy Code:  afrrai1
Type Locality:  Cape of Good Hope.
Author:  Gmelin, JF
Publish Year:  1789
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

RALLUS
(Rallidae; Ϯ Water Rail R. aquaticus) Probably from Med. French Rasle or Râle  rail (supported by Sundevall 1873: "Nomen Rallus, primum Rasle, Bélon, dein Râle, est vox gallica medii ævi, nec latina, sed usu diuturno probata",  and BOU 1915: “the latinized form of the French Rale, our Rail, Dutch Ral”), but Gessner 1555 states, "Rallus hæc avis circa Venetias appellatur", and Macleod 1954, has “Latinized form of German ralle, rail (bird)”; "83. RALLUS.  Rostrum basi crassius, compressum, dorso attenuatum apicem versus, æquale, acutum.  Pedes tetradactyli, fissi.  Corpus compressum." (Linnaeus 1758); ex “Rallus aquaticus” of Willughby 1676, and “Water Rail. Rallus Aquaticus” of Albin 1731; "Rallus Linné, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 153. Type, by subsequent designation, Rallus aquaticus Linné. (Fleming, Mem. Wernerian Nat. Hist. Soc., 3, 1821, p. 176.)" (Peters 1934, II, 157). Linnaeus's Rallus comprised five species (R. Crex, R. aquaticus, R. lariformis, R. benghalensis, R. carolinus).
Var. Railus, Ralus, Rallas, Rullus, Ballus.
Synon. Biensis, Epirallus.

caerulescens
Unattested L. caerulescens, caerulescentis  bluish (neither caerulescere nor caerulescens have been found in Classical Latin, but their existence may be inferred from caeruleus  azure-blue, by the example, amongst others, of rufus  red, ruddy, giving rufescere  to become reddish, and rufescens  reddish).
● "61. ANAS.  ...  cærulescens.  10. A. grisea, subtus alba, tectricibus alarum dorsoque postico cærulescentibus.  Anser canadensis, alis cæruleis. Edw. av. 152. t. 152.  Habitat in Canada." (Linnaeus 1758) (Anser).
● "43. LANIUS.  ...  cærulescens.  8. L. cauda forficata, corpore nigro cærulescente, abdomine albo.  Lanius cauda forcipata. Edv. av. 96. t. 56.  Habitat in Benghala." (Linnaeus 1758) (Dicrurus).
● ex “Héron bleuâtre de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, “Crabier bleu à cou brun” of de Buffon 1770-1785, and “Blue Heron” of Latham 1785 (syn. Egretta caerulea).
● ex “Blue Roller” of Latham 1785 (syn. Eurystomus glaucurus).
● "41. FALCO.  ...  cærulescens.  7. F. cera palpebris pedibus subtusque luteus, dorso nigro-cærulescente, temporibus linea alba inclusis.  Accipiter minimus benghalensis. Edv. av. 108. t. 108.  Habitat in Asia." (Linnaeus 1758). This epithet is the thirteenth name in avian nomenclature. (Microhierax).
● ex "Oiseau bleu" of Dubois 1671, and "Gros oiseau" of Brown 1724 (‡Porphyrio).
● ex “Blue-necked Rail” of Latham 1785 (Rallus).
● ex "Fauvette bleuâtre de S. Domingue" of de Buffon 1770-1783, and "Blue-grey Warbler" of Latham 1783 (Setophaga).
● ex “Batara negro y aplomado” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 213 (Thamnophilus).
● ex “Caerulean Creeper” of Latham 1801 (syn. Zosterops lateralis).