GRAUCALUS. 
As the genus name Goracina has been used in place of Graucalus , an 
explanation of its introduction, usage and rejection is here given. 
In a small volume entitled Analyse (Tune Nouvelle Ornithologie elementaire, 
published in 1816 by Vieillot, on page 37 is written : 
“ Coracine, Coracina, Corvus, Linn. Gm. Lath. 
“Bee glabre, ou emplume, ou cilie a la base, epais, retreci a la pointe, 
deprime, anguleux en dessus, courbe vers le bout, entier ou echancre ; mandible 
inferieure un peu aplatie en dessous, 4 sections. 
“ Esp. Col - nud. — Choucari — Choucas chauve Buff. — Cephaloptere. — 
Geoffroy, Annales du Museum.” 
The first named had been previously differentiated as a distinct genus 
Gymnoderus by Geoffroy, at the same time as he proposed for the third 
Gymnocepkalus, and the last named Cephalopterus. It is obvious that Vieillot 
was proposing a genus name for the lumping of Geoffroy’s three genera, and 
added as an additional form the “ Choucari.” Temminck replied in 1817 
with some “ Observations,” criticising all Vieillot’s groups, especially referring 
to Illiger’s classification of 1811 as recognised by himself in his “Manuel” in 
1815, and on page 56 he noted that for “ Cephalopterus of Geoffroy and Illiger, 
Goracina had been proposed for Vieillot.” In 1840 Gray synonymised 
Vieillot’s Coracina under the different genera above cited but selected no type. 
Selby, in the same year, selected a species that was not one of the original ones 
but one added later by Vieillot, probably because Selby had not seen Vieillot’s 
rare little tract, but was only familiar with Vieillot’s usage in the Nouv. Diet. 
d'Hist. Nat. Gray in 1847 ( Genera Birds, Vol. II., p. 319, March) under 
Gymnoderus, wrote : “ Goracina Vieillot, 1816, is synonymous,” thus accepting 
the first species in Vieillot’s lot as the restricted type. Unfortunately he did 
not explicitly state such to be the case, so that in 1851 Cabanis, ruling out the 
three genera with earlier names, proposed that the Choucari be accepted as 
the type of Goracina, thus replacing the well-known Cuvierian genus name of 
Graucalus proposed in 1817 (1816). 
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