Pearl-breasted Swallow

SCI Name:  Hirundo dimidiata
Protonym:  Hirundo dimidiata Oefv.Vet.-Akad.Forh. 7 p.107
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Hirundinidae / Hirundo
Taxonomy Code:  pebswa1
Type Locality:  upper Caffraria; type from Leroma, Transvaal.
Author:  Sundevall
Publish Year:  1850
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

HIRUNDO
(Hirundinidae; Ϯ Barn Swallow H. rustica) L. hirundo, hirundinis  swallow; "101. HIRUNDO.  Rostrum minimum, incurvum, subulatum, basi depressum.  Rictus capite amplius." (Linnaeus 1758). “The type of this Linnean genus has always been a somewhat difficult question to decide. The genus contains eight species, of which the first-named is “rustica,” the Swallow, and this was made the type of the genus by Gray [1840] ...  Stejneger (Proc. U. S. National Mus. v. 1883, p. 31) first drew attention to the fact that Forster [1817] ...  used urbica (House-Martin) in conjunction with Hirundo, and rustica (Swallow) with Chelidon, a genus there first named, and he considered this to constitute a designation of the type by Forster ...  After careful consideration of the matter, the Committee are of opinion that Forster’s use of Hirundo in conjunction with urbica hardly constitutes designation as understood under the code of International Rules, and that Hirundo rustica is the correct type of the Linnean genus” (BOU 1915); "Hirundo Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, p. 191. Type, by subsequent designation, Hirundo rustica Linnaeus (G. R. Gray, 1840, List Gen. Birds, p. 8.)." (Peters, 1960, IX, p. 104). Linnaeus's Hirundo comprised eight species (H. rustica, H. esculenta, H. urbica, H. riparia, H. Apus, H. Subis, H. pelagica, H. Melba).
Var. Hirunda.
Synon. Charitochelidon, Chelidon, Hemicecrops, Herse, Hersepis, Hypurolepis, Natalornis, Setirundo, Uromitus, Waldenia.

hirundo
L. hirundo, hirundinis  swallow.
● "70. STERNA.  ...  Hirundo.  2. S. cauda forficata: rectricibus duabus extimis albo nigroque dimidiatis. Fn. svec. 127.  Sterna. Gesn. av. 53. Aldr. orn. l. 19. c. 7. Jonst. av. 130. t. 46.  Hirundo marina. Will. orn. 268. t. 68. Raj. av. 131. Alb. av. 2. p. 79. t. 90.  Habitat in Europa.  Mas & Femina indissolubiles socii monogami." (Linnaeus 1758); “Prof. Einar Lönnberg (Ibis, 1913, p. 301) has gone carefully into the question whether S. hirundo Linn. should be applied to the Common or to the Arctic Tern. He has given good reasons for referring it to the former species, and the Committee have accepted his decision” (BOU 1915) (Sterna).

dimidiata / dimidiatum / dimidiatus
L. dimidiatus  divided  < dimidius  halved  < di-  apart; medius  middle.
● ex “Merle olive de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 558, fig. 2 (?syn. Vireo olivaceus).

SUBSPECIES

Pearl-breasted Swallow (marwitzi)
SCI Name: Hirundo dimidiata marwitzi
marwitzi
First Lt. Lothar Heinrich Ludwig von der Marwitz (1869-1918) German Army in German East Africa, collector (Joek Roex in litt.) (syn. Apus apus pekinensis, subsp. Estrilda paludicola, syn. Euplectes orix nigrifrons, syn. Eurillas virens zombensis, subsp. Hirundo dimidiata, subsp. Lanius collaris, subsp. Phoeniculus purpureus, syn. Telacanthura ussheri stictilaema).

Pearl-breasted Swallow (dimidiata)
SCI Name: Hirundo dimidiata dimidiata
dimidiata / dimidiatum / dimidiatus
L. dimidiatus  divided  < dimidius  halved  < di-  apart; medius  middle.
● ex “Merle olive de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 558, fig. 2 (?syn. Vireo olivaceus).