Brown Honeyeater

SCI Name:  Lichmera indistincta
Protonym:  Meliphaga indistincta Trans.Linn.Soc.London(1), 15(1826) p.315
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Meliphagidae / Lichmera
Taxonomy Code:  brohon1
Type Locality:  King George Sound, southern Western Australia.
Author:  Vigors & Horsfield
Publish Year:  1827
IUCN Status:  

DEFINITIONS

LICHMERA
(Meliphagidae; Ϯ Brown Honeyeater L. indistincta ocularis) Gr. λιχμηρης likhmērēs  licking with the tongue  < λιχμαω likhmaō  to lick, to dart with the tongue; "Gen. LICHMERA nov. gen.  *) Bürstenzüngler.   633.  1. L. australasiana Nob. — Certhia australasiana Shaw. Gen. Zool. VIII. p. 226.— Certhia pyrrhoptera Lath.?— Melithreptus melanoleucus Vieill.— Meliphaga australasiana Vig. Horsf. Trans. Lin. Soc. XV. p. 313.— id. Gould B. Austr. IV. tab. 27.— Meliphaga inornata Gould. (jun.).    634.  2. L. ocularis Nob.— Glyciphila ocularis Gould Proc. Zool. Soc. 1837. p. 154.  id. Birds Austr. IV. tab. 31.— Gylciphila subocularis Gould. (Fem an juv.).   ...  *) Von λιχμηρης, züngelnd, leckerhaft.  Die Gruppe steht in der Bildung zwischen Meliornis und Ptilotis" (Cabanis 1853); "Lichmera Cabanis, 1851 [= 1853], Mus. Hein., 1, p. 118. Type, by subsequent designation (Bonaparte, 1854, Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris, 38, p. 263), Glyciphila ocularis Gould." (Salomonsen in Peters 1967, XII, 345).
Synon. Stigmatops.

indistincta / indistinctum / indistinctus
L. indistinctus indistinct, obscure  < in-  not; distinctus  distinct  < distinguere  to distinguish.
● “This bird ...appears very closely allied to the last [Melithreptus lunatus]. It is however in very bad condition, and scarcely admits of a description ...It has much of the appearance of a young bird” (Vigors & Horsfield 1827) (Lichmera).

SUBSPECIES

Brown Honeyeater (ocularis)
SCI Name: Lichmera indistincta ocularis
ocularis
L. ocularis  of the eyes, ocular  < oculus  eye.
● “The widespread error of transcribing this name as ocularius has been pointed out by Macdonald and Grant, 1953, Ann. Transvaal Mus., 22, pp. 197-203” (Moreau in Peters XV 1962) (Ploceus).

Brown Honeyeater (nupta)
SCI Name: Lichmera indistincta nupta
nupta
L. nuptus veiled, married < nubere to cover.

Brown Honeyeater (indistincta)
SCI Name: Lichmera indistincta indistincta
indistincta / indistinctum / indistinctus
L. indistinctus indistinct, obscure  < in-  not; distinctus  distinct  < distinguere  to distinguish.
● “This bird ...appears very closely allied to the last [Melithreptus lunatus]. It is however in very bad condition, and scarcely admits of a description ...It has much of the appearance of a young bird” (Vigors & Horsfield 1827) (Lichmera).

Brown Honeyeater (melvillensis)
SCI Name: Lichmera indistincta melvillensis
melvillense / melvillensis / melvilli
Melville I., Northern Territory, Australia.