Sooty Melidectes

SCI Name:  Melidectes fuscus
Protonym:  Acanthochoera fusca Ibis p.383
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Meliphagidae / Melidectes
Taxonomy Code:  soomel1
Type Locality:  Mt. Scratchley, Wharton Range, southeastern New Guinea.
Author:  De Vis
Publish Year:  1897
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

MELIDECTES
(Meliphagidae; Ϯ Ornate Honeyeater M. torquatus) Gr. μελι meli,  μελιτος melitos  honey; δηκτης dēktēs  biter  < δηκω dēkō  to bite; "11. MELIDECTES TORQUATUS, gen. et sp. n.  (Pl. LV.)  Melidectes gen. nov.† ex familia Meliphagidarum: rostro elongato, caput æquante, tenuiusculo, parum arcuato; naribus linearibus, in sulco longitudinali positis: spatio altero postoculari lato et altero postrictali angusto omnino nudis; cauda longa, paulum rotundata; tarsis modicis: alis acutis, modice elongatis.   ...  MELIDECTES TORQUATUS, sp. n.  ...  This is a conspicuous new Meliphagine form, not very far from Ptilotis, but distinguishable by the bareness of the sides of the face and bare stripe behind the rictus. These are separated by a scanty line of feathers extending beneath the eye.   ...   †  Mελι, mel, et δηκτης, mordicator." (P. Sclater 1874); "Melidectes Sclater, 1873 [= 1874], Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 694. Type, by monotypy, Melidectes torquatus Sclater." (Salomonsen in Peters 1967, XII, 415).
Synon. Melionyx, Melirrhophetes.

fuscus
L. fuscus  brown, dusky, dark-coloured, black (see also fusca).
● ex “Merula Philippensis” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Acridotheres tristis).
● ex “Brown Thrush” of Latham 1783, and Pennant 1785 (syn. Catharus swainsoni).
● ex “Alondra parda” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 147 (Cinclodes).
● ex “Sucrier Namaquois” or “Sucrier à Caleçon Blanc” of Levaillant 1812, pl. 296 (Cinnyris).
● "77. SCOLOPAX.  ...  fusca.  3. S. rostro arcuato, pedibus rubris, corpore fusco, cauda basi alba.  Numenius fuscus. Catesb. car. I. p. 83. t. 83.  Habitat in America.  Antecedentes 1. 2. 3. structura nimis affines, sed colore corporis diversæ." (Linnaeus 1758) (syn. Eudocimus albus ☼) (see ruber and albus).
● ex “Brown-headed Oriole” of Pennant 1785 (syn. Euphagus carolinus).
● ex “Martin-pêcheur de la côte Malabar” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 894 (syn. Halcyon smyrnensis).
● "69. LARUS.  ...  fuscus.  4. L. albus, dorso fusco. Fn. svec. 126.  Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Larus).
● ex “Brown Merganser” (= ♀) of Pennant 1785 (?syn. Lophodytes cucullatus).
● ex “Mésange Brune à Poitrine Noire” of Levaillant 1804, pl. 139, fig. 1 (syn. Melaniparus afer).
● ex “Brown-headed Oriole” of Pennant 1785 (syn. Molothrus ater).
● (Boddaert 1783) ex “Vautour de Malthe” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 427 (= ☼) (syn. Neophron percnopterus).
● (J. Gmelin 1788) ex “Vultur fuscus” of Brisson 1760, “Vautour de Malthe” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 427, and de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Avoltojo Griffone” of Cetti 1776 (syn. Neophron percnopterus).
● ex “Brown Pelican” of Latham 1785 (syn. Pelecanus occidentalis).
● ex Tringa lobata Linnaeus, 1758, and “Phalarope cendré” and “Phalarope brun” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Phalaropus lobatus).
● ex “Little Dusky Parrot” of Edwards 1764 (Pionus).
● ex “Merle huppé du cap de bonne Espérance” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 563, fig. 1 (syn. Pycnonotus cafer).
● ex “Black-cap Fly-catcher” of Catesby 1731-1743, and Latham 1783, “Muscicapa carolinensis fusca” of Brisson 1760, “Gobe-mouche noirâtre de la Caroline” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Black-headed Fly-catcher of Pennant 1785 (syn. Sayornis phoebe).
● ex “Brown Tody” of Latham 1781 (unident.).

SUBSPECIES

Sooty Melidectes (occidentalis)
SCI Name: Melidectes fuscus occidentalis
occidentale / occidentalis
L. occidentalis  western  < occidens, occidentis  west  < occidere  to set. This toponym was frequently given to taxa discovered in locations west of previously known populations.
● Cocal, Western Andes, Colombia (Dysithamnus).
● Jamaica; ex “Onocrotalus” or “Pelecanus fuscus” of Sloane 1725, “Pelican of America” of Edwards 1747, and “Pelecanus” of Browne 1756 (Pelecanus).
● TL. Day Dawn, Western Australia; "Westralian Wedgebill" (Mathews 1912) (Psophodes).

Sooty Melidectes (fuscus)
SCI Name: Melidectes fuscus fuscus
fuscus
L. fuscus  brown, dusky, dark-coloured, black (see also fusca).
● ex “Merula Philippensis” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Acridotheres tristis).
● ex “Brown Thrush” of Latham 1783, and Pennant 1785 (syn. Catharus swainsoni).
● ex “Alondra parda” of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 147 (Cinclodes).
● ex “Sucrier Namaquois” or “Sucrier à Caleçon Blanc” of Levaillant 1812, pl. 296 (Cinnyris).
● "77. SCOLOPAX.  ...  fusca.  3. S. rostro arcuato, pedibus rubris, corpore fusco, cauda basi alba.  Numenius fuscus. Catesb. car. I. p. 83. t. 83.  Habitat in America.  Antecedentes 1. 2. 3. structura nimis affines, sed colore corporis diversæ." (Linnaeus 1758) (syn. Eudocimus albus ☼) (see ruber and albus).
● ex “Brown-headed Oriole” of Pennant 1785 (syn. Euphagus carolinus).
● ex “Martin-pêcheur de la côte Malabar” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 894 (syn. Halcyon smyrnensis).
● "69. LARUS.  ...  fuscus.  4. L. albus, dorso fusco. Fn. svec. 126.  Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Larus).
● ex “Brown Merganser” (= ♀) of Pennant 1785 (?syn. Lophodytes cucullatus).
● ex “Mésange Brune à Poitrine Noire” of Levaillant 1804, pl. 139, fig. 1 (syn. Melaniparus afer).
● ex “Brown-headed Oriole” of Pennant 1785 (syn. Molothrus ater).
● (Boddaert 1783) ex “Vautour de Malthe” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 427 (= ☼) (syn. Neophron percnopterus).
● (J. Gmelin 1788) ex “Vultur fuscus” of Brisson 1760, “Vautour de Malthe” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 427, and de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Avoltojo Griffone” of Cetti 1776 (syn. Neophron percnopterus).
● ex “Brown Pelican” of Latham 1785 (syn. Pelecanus occidentalis).
● ex Tringa lobata Linnaeus, 1758, and “Phalarope cendré” and “Phalarope brun” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Phalaropus lobatus).
● ex “Little Dusky Parrot” of Edwards 1764 (Pionus).
● ex “Merle huppé du cap de bonne Espérance” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 563, fig. 1 (syn. Pycnonotus cafer).
● ex “Black-cap Fly-catcher” of Catesby 1731-1743, and Latham 1783, “Muscicapa carolinensis fusca” of Brisson 1760, “Gobe-mouche noirâtre de la Caroline” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Black-headed Fly-catcher of Pennant 1785 (syn. Sayornis phoebe).
● ex “Brown Tody” of Latham 1781 (unident.).