The Key to Scientific Names
- Amaurocichla
(Motacillidae; syn. Motacilla Ϯ São Tomé Short-tail M. bocagii) Gr. αμαυρος amauros dark; κιχλη kikhlē thrush; "This new species has a brown style of coloration which is characteristic of many Timeliine birds, but it seems to find its nearest ally in a Malayan genus Crateroscelis of Malacca and Borneo. It differs, however, from that genus in certain evident characters, which may be diagnosed as follows:— AMAUROCICHLA, gen. nov. Similar to Crateroscelis, but distinguished by the shape of the wing, the first primary being nearly as long as the second. Additional characters are:— The bill is as long as the head, and rictal bristles are absent, while the tail-feathers are somewhat acuminate. The type is: - AMAUROCICHLA BOCAGII, sp. nov. (Plate XX. fig. 1.) Adult. General colour above uniform chocolate-brown, the wings and tail a little darker than the back; lores and sides of face dark brown like back, the ear-coverts slightly rufescent, like the sides of the neck" (Sharpe 1892); "Amaurocichla Sharpe, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1892, p. 228. Type by original designation, Amaurocichla bocagei Sharpe." (W. Sclater, 1930, Syst. Av. Aethiop., II, p. 363). The São Tomé Short-tail or Bocage's Longbill, was formerly treated in various sylviine families or groups, but is now considered very closely related to the wagtails Motacilla.