American Pipit

SCI Name:  Anthus rubescens
Protonym:  Alauda Rubescens Orn.Brit. p.2
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Motacillidae / Anthus
Taxonomy Code:  amepip
Type Locality:  Pennsylvania. Ex Pennant''s Brit. Zool., p. 239, based on ''The Lark from Pensilvania'' of Edwards, Gleanings Nat. Hist., 2, p. 185, pi. 297.
Author:  Tunstall
Publish Year:  1771
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

ANTHUS
(Motacillidae; † Meadow Pipit A. pratensis) L. anthus  small bird that inhabited grasslands mentioned by Pliny, not further identified, but probably the Yellow Wagtail  < Gr. ανθος anthos  small, brightly coloured bird mentioned by Aristotle.  In Gr. myth. Anthus, son of Antinous and Hippodamia, was killed by his father’s horses and metamorphosed into a bird which imitated the neighing of horses but fled at their sight; "47. Pieper. Anthus.  Ich rechne zu dieser neuen Gattung vier Arten.   ...   Das was Frisch in der Naturgeschichte von No. III. von der Greuthlerche erzählt, gehört eigentlich zur Pieplerche (Alauda trivialis), die er Wiesenlerche nennt.  Das aber, was er von der Wiesenlerche No. IV. sagt, paßt nur auf die Brachlerche (Alauda campestris).  Das, was er von felner Pieplerche sagt, hat zwar seine Richtigkeit, allein die Ueberschrift ist falsch, und sollte eigentlich Wiesenlerche (Alauda pratensis) heißen *).  ...  *) Diese Vögel, nämlich die Brach- Piep- und Wiesenlerche haben zu vielen Irrthümern in den naturhistorischen Schriften Anlaß gegeben. Ich habe mich selbst irre führen lassen. Ich habe daher für dieselben, da sie zu auffallend von den Lerchen abweichen, eine besondere Gattung, die ich Anthus nenne, gebildet.   ...   161. Die Brachlerche oder der Brachpieper. Alauda campestris. L. Taf. 15. Fig. 2. b. (Anthus campestris, mihi." (Bechstein 1805); "Anthus Bechstein, Gemein. Naturg. Deutschl. ii, pp. 247, 302, 1805.  Type by subsequent designation of Mathews (Austral Av. Rec. ii, p. 123, 1918), Alauda campestris.  ...  This genus until recently has been quoted from Bechstein's third volume, p. 704, 1807, and the type designated by Gray in 1840 as A. spinoletta.  Under the earlier citation of Anthus, here quoted, the Water-Pipit is not mentioned, so that it cannot under the Rules be designated as the type of the genus.  The three species which are mentioned by Bechstein are A. campestris, A. trivialis, and A. pratensis.  Sharpe, in Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus. x, p. 534, 1885, designated A. trivialis, but did not quote the earlier reference to Bechstein.  Mathews subsequently therefore (Austral Av. Rec. ii, p. 123, 1918) designated A. campestris, which is here accepted as the type." (W. Sclater, 1930, Syst. Av. Aethiop., II, 340); "Anthus Bechstein, 1805, Gemein. Nat. Deutschl., 2, p. 247, 302, 465.  Type, by subsequent designation, Alauda pratensis Linnaeus (Selby, 1825, Illust. Brit. Orn., p. xxix)." (Vaurie in Peters, 1960, IX, p. 144).
Var. Arthur, Artthus.
Synon. Afranthus, Agrodroma, Anomalanthana, Anomalanthus, Austranthus, Caffranthus, Cichlops, Cinaedium, Corydalla, Dendronanthus, Heterura, Leimoniptera, Meganthus, Megistina, Neocorys, Notiocorys, Oreocorys, Pediocorys, Petranthus, Pipastes, Rhabdochlamys, Seiren, Spipola, Xanthocorys.

rubescens
L. rubescens, rubescentis  reddish, blushed  < rubescere  to become reddish  < ruber  ruddy, red.
● ex “Lark from Pensilvania” of Edwards 1760, and “Red Lark” of Pennant 1768 (Anthus).
● ex "Kokuh" of Krusenstern 1814 (Pampusana).

SUBSPECIES

American Pipit (japonicus)
SCI Name: Anthus rubescens japonicus
japanensis / japanicus / japensis / japonensis / japonica / japonicum / japonicus
Japan (Mod. English names (early examples including Giapan) were derived from a Portuguese corruption of Malay Jepang and Chinese Zeppen, themselves local renderings of Nippon). The French equivalent is Japon.
● ex “Japonese Eagle” of Latham 1781 (subsp. Falco peregrinus).
● ex “Grue du Japon” of Brisson 1760 (Grus).
● Erroneous TL Japan (= New Guinea); ex “Psittacus erythrochlorus macrourus” of Aldrovandus 12599, and “Psittaca japonica” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Charmosyna papou).

American Pipit (rubescens Group)
SCI Name: Anthus rubescens [rubescens Group]
ANTHUS
(Motacillidae; † Meadow Pipit A. pratensis) L. anthus  small bird that inhabited grasslands mentioned by Pliny, not further identified, but probably the Yellow Wagtail  < Gr. ανθος anthos  small, brightly coloured bird mentioned by Aristotle.  In Gr. myth. Anthus, son of Antinous and Hippodamia, was killed by his father’s horses and metamorphosed into a bird which imitated the neighing of horses but fled at their sight; "47. Pieper. Anthus.  Ich rechne zu dieser neuen Gattung vier Arten.   ...   Das was Frisch in der Naturgeschichte von No. III. von der Greuthlerche erzählt, gehört eigentlich zur Pieplerche (Alauda trivialis), die er Wiesenlerche nennt.  Das aber, was er von der Wiesenlerche No. IV. sagt, paßt nur auf die Brachlerche (Alauda campestris).  Das, was er von felner Pieplerche sagt, hat zwar seine Richtigkeit, allein die Ueberschrift ist falsch, und sollte eigentlich Wiesenlerche (Alauda pratensis) heißen *).  ...  *) Diese Vögel, nämlich die Brach- Piep- und Wiesenlerche haben zu vielen Irrthümern in den naturhistorischen Schriften Anlaß gegeben. Ich habe mich selbst irre führen lassen. Ich habe daher für dieselben, da sie zu auffallend von den Lerchen abweichen, eine besondere Gattung, die ich Anthus nenne, gebildet.   ...   161. Die Brachlerche oder der Brachpieper. Alauda campestris. L. Taf. 15. Fig. 2. b. (Anthus campestris, mihi." (Bechstein 1805); "Anthus Bechstein, Gemein. Naturg. Deutschl. ii, pp. 247, 302, 1805.  Type by subsequent designation of Mathews (Austral Av. Rec. ii, p. 123, 1918), Alauda campestris.  ...  This genus until recently has been quoted from Bechstein's third volume, p. 704, 1807, and the type designated by Gray in 1840 as A. spinoletta.  Under the earlier citation of Anthus, here quoted, the Water-Pipit is not mentioned, so that it cannot under the Rules be designated as the type of the genus.  The three species which are mentioned by Bechstein are A. campestris, A. trivialis, and A. pratensis.  Sharpe, in Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus. x, p. 534, 1885, designated A. trivialis, but did not quote the earlier reference to Bechstein.  Mathews subsequently therefore (Austral Av. Rec. ii, p. 123, 1918) designated A. campestris, which is here accepted as the type." (W. Sclater, 1930, Syst. Av. Aethiop., II, 340); "Anthus Bechstein, 1805, Gemein. Nat. Deutschl., 2, p. 247, 302, 465.  Type, by subsequent designation, Alauda pratensis Linnaeus (Selby, 1825, Illust. Brit. Orn., p. xxix)." (Vaurie in Peters, 1960, IX, p. 144).
Var. Arthur, Artthus.
Synon. Afranthus, Agrodroma, Anomalanthana, Anomalanthus, Austranthus, Caffranthus, Cichlops, Cinaedium, Corydalla, Dendronanthus, Heterura, Leimoniptera, Meganthus, Megistina, Neocorys, Notiocorys, Oreocorys, Pediocorys, Petranthus, Pipastes, Rhabdochlamys, Seiren, Spipola, Xanthocorys.