Spot-breasted Scimitar-Babbler

SCI Name:  Megapomatorhinus mcclellandi
Protonym:  P[omatorhinus]. McClellandi J.Asiat.Soc.Bengal Vol. 39, Part 2, N° 2 p. 103-104
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Timaliidae / Megapomatorhinus
Taxonomy Code:  spbscb1
Type Locality:  at Nenglo beyond Asalu, under the Burrail range, Assam.
Author:  Godwin-Austen
Publish Year:  1870
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

Megapomatorhinus
(syn. Erythrogenys; Ϯ Large Scimitar-babbler E. hypoleucos) Gr. μεγας megas, μεγαλη megalē  great; genus Pomatorhinus Horsfield, 1821, scimitar-babbler; "Megapomatorhinus ([Pomatorhinus]) hypoleucos, erythrocnemis, erythrogenys, swinhoei)   ...   Megapomatorhinus.— Among the genus names used in the past for the group/members of the group now newly separated from Pomatorhinus based on molecular-genetic markers, none is available according to the Code (ICZN 1999): Orthorhinus Blyth 1844: 124 is preoccupied by Orthorhinus Schönherr 1825, Coleoptera; Erythrogenys E. C. S. Baker 1930, is preoccupied by Erythrogenys Brandt 1841, itself a nomen emendatum of Gould's Erythrogonys. Hodgson's (1836, Asiatic Researches vol. 20: p. 180) use of the name Erythrogenys is without a proper genus description and the original description in the paper refers to a new species only; thus also this name is not available. We therefore formally establish here Megapomatorhinus gen. nov., diagnosed by its general appearance and proportions like Pomatorhinus babblers but generally larger, and in adult birds a curved bill roughly as long as the head, upperparts olive brown to brown, white underparts gradually becoming rusty or brown toward the vent, on breast and/or on flanks striped/dotted light to dark brown/umber, white supercilium lacking or, if present, thin and not reaching distally in front of the eyes, sexes alike; the type species is Orthorhinus hypoleucos Blyth 1844.  ...  The name acknowledges the similarity to species of Pomatorhinus, but also the large, heavy-bodied, and large-billed nature of species in the named genus." (Moyle et al. 2012); "Recently introduced name Megapomatorhinus is a synonym of Erythrogenys, although latter name was coined accidentally." (del Hoyo & Collar 2016).

mcclellandi / mcclellandii
John MacClelland (1805-1875) British zoologist, geologist (Erythrogenys, syn. Garrulax pectoralis melanotis, Ixos, syn. Psilopogon lineata).