No. 2.] THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD 43 



MUSCICAPA BICOLOR. 



This name appears on p. 19, and being three years earlier 

 invalidates Muscicapa bicolor Sparrman, Mus. Carls, pi. 46, 

 1786. The latter is still in use as Cossypha bicolor for an 

 African bird. The correct species name appears to be 

 {Muscicapa) dichroa Gmelin, Syst. Nat., p. 949, 1789, provided 

 because Sparrman's choice came later than Gmelin's own. 

 Cossypha was used as of Vigors, Zool. Journ., Vol. II., p. 396, 

 1826, in the Catalogue of Birds, Vol. VII., p. 34, and maintained 

 by Reichenow, Vogel Afrikas, Vol. III., p. 758, 1905, and still 

 appears on the cabinets of the British Museum as it is used 

 by Bannerman (Ibis, July, 1915, p. 497). In the last number 

 of this Journal, p. 16, we observed that Dumont used Cuvier's 

 genus-name Cossyphus in 1823. We did not elaborate on 

 this, as the publication of Cuvierian names is a study in itself 

 and the name Cossyphus was many years previously proposed 

 for an Insect (Fabricius 1792). We make this note as our 

 friend Dr. C. W. Richmond has written us that this appears 

 to be the earliest use of Cuvier's name, though we did not so 

 regard it. We have not yet seen an earlier use, but it does 

 not further interest us save from an academic view point. 

 Gray, in the Cat. Gen. Subgen. Birds 1855, correctly placed 

 these names, and we might record the fact that for accuracy 

 no work has ever surpassed Gray's. Thus p. 44, Gray gave — 



" Bessonornis Smith 184 ? Cossypha Vigors 1825 a. 

 Dessonornis A. Smith 1836. 

 a Nee Cossyphus Fabr. 1792," 

 and p. 67 — 



" Acridotheres Vieill. 1816. Gracula Cuv. 1817. 

 Cossyphus Dum. 18 ?." 



The first species of Dumont's Cossyphus is olivaceus, w-bich 

 is simply a new name for Manorine of Vieillot, as one of us 

 has already recorded in this Journal, Vol. II., p. 102. We 

 cannot accept the retention of Cossypha while Cossyphus is 

 rejected, so the correct name of the bird known as Cossyjiha 

 bicolor Sparrman will be 



Bessonornis dichrous (Gmelin). 



