The Key to Scientific Names

Edited by James A. Jobling
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Mimetes

Gr. μιμητης mimÄ“tÄ“s  imitator, mimic  < μιμεομαι mimeomai  to imitate  < μιμος mimos  mimic, actor. 
• (Mimidae; syn. Mimus † Northern Mockingbird M. polyglottos) "Mehrere genießen, unter den besonderen Namen Spottdrosseln oder Spottvögel, (Mimetes, Mimus!) noch eines vorzüglichen Rufes wegen der, meist bewunderungswürdigen Fertigkeit, mit welcher sie auch viele Lieder anderer Vögel wiedergeben, und selbst die Laute mancher unbefiederten Geschöpfe nachahmen: gleich als wollten sie ein neckerhaftes Gespött mit denselben treiben.  Vorzugsweise berühmt ist in beiden Beziehungen jene nordamerikanische Art, welche darum auch vorzugsweise die Bezeichnung Spott- oder vielstimmige Drossel führt. (Turdus polyglottus.)" (Gloger 1841); "Mimetes Gloger, 1841, Gemeinn. Hand- und Hilfsbuch Naturgeschichte, I, p. 303 (not of Eschscholtz, 1818 (Coleoptera), nor of King, 1826).  New name for Mimus Boie, 1826." (JAJ 2022).
• (Oriolidae; syn. Oriolus † Olive-backed Oriole O. sagittatus) This name was applied to a group of Australasian orioles which, on first inspection, appear to be identical in appearance to the various friarbirds Philemon which share their habitats. The orioles must benefit or obtain some protection from predators by being mistaken for the noisy and pugnacious friarbirds. However, the Olive-backed and Green Orioles were so named because they were thought to be honeyeaters masquerading as orioles; "I would at once refer it to that genus [Oriolus], but that I have some reason to think that it belongs to the meliphagous birds, which are so abundant in New Holland, and which have been observed to assume the appearance of almost every group in the Insessores.  ...  If the tongue of my birds be found to accord with that of the Orioles, and not of the Honey-suckers, my group of course must fall.  Genus MIMETES †.   ...   â€  Mimetes, from μιμητης, imitator; [assuming the appearance of a different group.]  ...  The above descriptions will point out the specific differences between the two birds [viridis (= sagittatus), flavocinctus], which are strongly apparent, not merely by the M. flavo-cinctus being marked with yellow where the other bird is white, but by the general distribution of the colours. In this respect, M. flavo-cinctus resembles more closely the true Orioles, particularly in the yellow fascia which is formed on the wing, when closed by the junction of the apical spots on the wing coverts" (King 1826); "Mimetes King, Survey Intertrop. Coasts Austr. vol. ii. p. 418, 1827 = April 15th, 1826.  Type [by subsequent designation, Lesson, Compl. Buff. 2nd ed. vol. ii. p. 497, 1838]: M. viridis = Coracias sagittata Latham; not Mimetes Eschscholtz, Mém. l'Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Petersb. 1818 [Coleoptera]." (Mathews, 1930, Syst. Av. Austral., II, p. 858).  


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