On the correct Name of the Pied Flycatcher. 571 



XXXI. — On the correct Name of the Pied Flycatcher. 

 By Ernst Hartert, Ph.D. 



The first available and certain name for this species is Musci- 

 capa atricapilla Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. ed. xii. p. 326 (1766), 

 and it should therefore be called Muscicapa atricapilla. 



Mr. Harry C. Oberholser (cf. Smithson. Misc. Coll. 48, 

 1, p. 65, and Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xxviii. p. 909, footnote) 

 declares categorically that the Pied Flycatcher should be 

 called Ficedula ficedula. In the footnote on p. 909 he 

 says : — " Motacilla ficedula Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. ed. x. i. 

 1758, p. 185. This is undoubtedly the same as Motacilla 

 atricapilla Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. ed. x. p. 187." 



In the 10th edition of the ' Systema Naturae' we find 

 Motacilla ficedula with the following diagnosis : — " M. sub- 

 f usca, subtus alba, pectore cinereo maculato." The quotations 

 are: — Fauna Suecica 231 ; Will. orn. 163 ; Raj. av. 81, no. 12 ; 

 Alb. av. 3, p. 25, t. 26. " Habitat in Europa." Turning to 

 the first source, Fauna Suecica 231, we find the same dia- 

 gnosis and the same quotations as in the ' Systema Naturae/ 

 ed. x., while a description is added as follows : — " Color 

 supra totus e fusco castaneus, subtus alba aut albo-cine- 

 rascens." Nobody who knows the Pied Flycatcher can 

 pretend that either Linnaeus's diagnosis or his description 

 refers to the male, female, or young of this species. Let us 

 now examine the other quotations. 



Willughby's description is : " Colore supine per caput, 

 dorsum, alas & caudam ex fusco ad castaneum vergente. 

 Foemina prone tota albicat, mas ex albo ad cinereum 

 vergit. Alarum remiges in mare nigrae sunt cum quibusdam 

 intercurrentibus albis, in foemina ad castaneum vergunt ; 

 quemadmodum etiam cauda, quae in mare etiam est nigra. 

 Contra fit in pedibus. Hi namque in mare sunt subcastanei, 

 in foemina nigri." This description (mostly taken from 

 Aldrovandus) is not clear. It cannot possibly be said to 

 refer to the Pied Flycatcher, though it may perhaps be a 

 mixture of descriptions of the female Blackcap and female 



