Mountain Peacock-Pheasant

SCI Name:  Polyplectron inopinatum
Protonym:  Chalcurus inopinatus Bull.Br.Orn.Club 13 p.41
Taxonomy:  Galliformes / Phasianidae / Polyplectron
Taxonomy Code:  mopphe1
Type Locality:  Ulu Pahang, Malay Peninsula.
Author:  Rothschild
Publish Year:  1903
IUCN Status:  Vulnerable

DEFINITIONS

POLYPLECTRON
(Phasianidae; Ϯ Grey Peacock Pheasant P. bicalcaratum) Gr. πολυς polus  many; πληκτρον plēktron  cock’s spur; "GENUS POLYPLECTRON.  GENRE EPERONNIER.  POLYPLECTRON ARGUS. (Mas) Temm. Gall. - Pavo Bicalcaratus Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 730. - Lath. Ind. v. 2. p. 617. - L'EPERONNIER ARGUS de la Chine (Male) Temm. Gall. v. 1. pl. Enl. - l'Eperonnier Buff. pl. 492. - Edw. t. 67. - Petit Paon de Malacca Sonnerat voy. v. 2. pl. 99. - Iris Peacock Lath. Syn. v. 4. p. 673" (Temminck 1807); "GENRE ÉPERONNIER.  CARACTÈRES ESSENTIELS.  Bec médiocre, grèle, droit, comprimé, base couverte de plumes; mandibule supérieure courbée vers son extrémité. Narines latérales, placées dans le milieu du bec, à moitié couvertes par par une membrane nue, et ouvertes par devant. Pieds, trois doigts devant et un derrière, les trois doigts antérieurs réunis par de courtes membranes; tarse longs et grèle, armé de plusieurs éperons. Ongles petits, celui de derrière très petit. Ailes courtes, les 4 rémiges extérieures également étagées, plus courtes que les 5me et 6me, qui sont les plus longues.  EPERONNIER CHINQUIS.  Polyplectron Chinquis. Mihi." (Temminck 1813); "Polyplectron Temminck, Pig. et Gall., 2, 1813, p. 363. Type, by monotypy, Polyplectron chinquis Temminck = Pavo bicalcaratus Linné." (Peters 1934, II, 130); "POLYPLECTRON Temminck, 1807  N — Polyplectron chinquis Temminck, 1813; type by monotypy = Pavo bicalcaratus Linnaeus, 1758  ...  For change in date see Opinion 67 (I.C.Z.N., 1916)" (Dickinson & Remsen (eds.) 2013, 33).   
Var. Polyprectron, Polyplectrum, Polyplectrus.     
Synon. Chalcurus, Diplectron, Diplectropus, Emphania. 

inopinata / inopinatum / inopinatus
L. inopinatus unexpected, unlooked for  < in-  not; opinatus  supposed  < opinari  to suppose.
• "Alauda japonica inopinata  ...  Ab Al arvensi typica et Al. arvensi blakistoni ala rotundata rostroque longiore, ab Al. gulgula ejusque subspeciebus coloratione corporis superioris intense rufa, non cinerascenti, ab Al. japonica typica colore laeto rufescenti, haud sordide pallide-cinammomeo signisque medianis nigricantibus angustioribus, ab Al. japonica coelivoci praeterea longitudine ulnae minore differt.  Subspecies finium orientalium Tibeti indigena."(Bianchi 1904) (subsp. Alauda gulgula).
• "According to Mr. Ogilvie-Grant, C. c. africana (his capensis) inhabits "South Africa, south of about 15o  S. lat., Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoro Islands, Cape Verd Islands, Canaries, Madeira, and Azores."  This would be a most astounding distribution and requires much investigation and alteration.  It would mean that the same form inhabited South Africa and the Cape Verd Isles, with no such Quail in an area of 25 degrees of latitude between the two areas, i.e. the Cunene River and the Cape Verd Islands.  But, worse luck, the Quail, inhabiting the Cape Verd Islands is not at all of the group of africana!  ...  I name the Cape Verd Quail:  Coturnix coturnix inopinata subsp. nov." (Hartert 1917) (subsp. Coturnix coturnix).
• "Melithreptus albogularis inopinatus   (White-throated Honeyeater).   Dorsum dull citrine, size large  ... Range: coastal east Australia, north to east foot of Cape York Peninsula, south to Macleay River, N. S. W., and inland to Great Dividing Range.  ...  Nominotypical albogularis, which ranges across northern Australia east to Cape York Peninsula, is brighter citrine dorsally and small" (Schodde 1989) (subsp. Melithreptus albogularis).
• "CHALCURUS INOPINATUS, n. sp.  ...  Of this remarkable new species the Bornean hunters of Mr. John Waterstradt obtained three males and two females in the State of Ulu Pahang, in the centre of the Malay Peninsula.  ...  This is perhaps the most interesting discovery recently made in the Malay Peninsula, only rivalled by that of the Rheinardtius, which occurs in the same country." (Rothschild 1903) (Polyplectron).
• "SERICORNIS MACULATUS.   SPOTTED SCRUB-WREN   ...   That many more subspecies would be named was certain from the published accounts such as Milligan's from the Wongan Hills, West Australia and Alexander from the Perth district.  Further, in the British Museum is a form of this species from Lithgow, New South Wales, suggesting that it occurs inland through that State.  These birds are darker above with less rufous tinge than South Australian birds and thr flanks are noticeably darker.  These may be called:  Sericornis maculatus inopinatus subsp. nov." (Mathews 1922) (syn. Sericornis frontalis).