White-spotted Wattle-eye

SCI Name:  Platysteira tonsa
Protonym:  Diaphorophyia tonsa Bull.Br.Orn.Club 27 p.86
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Platysteiridae / Platysteira
Taxonomy Code:  wsweye1
Type Locality:  Bitye, Ja (= Dja) River, southern Cameroon.
Author:  Bates
Publish Year:  1911
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

PLATYSTEIRA
(Platysteiridae; Ϯ Brown-throated Wattle-eye P. cyanea) Gr. πλατυς platus  broad; στειρα steira  ship’s keel; "PLATYRHYNCHUS COLLARIS et DESMARESTII.  In our description of these two species, we expressed our doubts of their joining well in with the genus Platyrhynchus, since that we have met with several others, and think them sufficiently numerous to form a division by themselves. We therefore now propose the appellation Platysteira, and add the generic characters. The chief differences were before pointed out in the description of the species.  The locality of the specimens described were at the time unknown. We have since received, by the attention of Dr. FERGUSON, P. Desmarestii from the vicinity of the river Gambia.    PLATYSTEIRA, NOBIS.   CHAR. GEN. —Rostrum mediocre, rectum, carinatum, latius quam altum, frontis latitudinem æquans, depressum, apice adunco, tomiis maxillæ pone apicem utrinsecus emarginatis, dilatatis; nares medio rostri, membrana vibrissis plumulisque instructis postice tecti, apertura terminali ovali; rictus amplus, ad basin vibrissis rigidis obtectus.  Alæ mediocres, rotundatæ, remiges, 1^mo brevi, 2^do, 3^tio, 4^to, gradatim longioribus; 5^to, longissimo.  Cauda subæqualis.  Pedes insessores, graciles, mediocres, digito externo, usque ad secundum, interno, ad primum articulum coalitis.  Acrotarsia scutulata, paratarsia squamis minutis obtectis.   Country, Africa.  Types, Le Priprit of VAILLANT'S Oiseaux d'Afrique, and P. collaris and Desmarestii." (Jardine & Selby 1830); "Platysteira Jardine and Selby, Illustr. Orn.  ii, Addenda, p. 2, 1830. Type, by subsequent designation (Gray, List Gen. Bds.  1st ed. 1840, p. 31), P. melanoptera (Gm.), i.e. P. collaris et desmaresti J. & S. = Muscicapa cyanea P. L. S. Müller." (W. Sclater 1930, 424).
Var. Platystira, Platystera.

tonsa
L. tonsus shaved, clipped < tondere to shave.