The Key to Scientific Names
- PNOEPYGA
(Pnoepygidae; † Scaly-breasted Cupwing P. albiventer) Gr. πνοη pnoē blowing < πνεω pneō to breathe; πυγη pugē rump; "Pnoepyga (Tesia) concolor, [drawing no.] 847. P. pusillus, [drawing no.] 870. P. rufiventer, [drawing no.] 457. P. albiventer, [drawing no.] 491." (Hodgson 1844); “Genus Pnoepyga (olim Tesia), mihi. ... wings very short, bowed, and perfectly rounded; tail rudimentary, consisting of only six plumes, which are hid by the puffy rump-feathers. ... Types, the following: — 1st species, albiventer (M. squamata, Gould, postea), mihi.” (Hodgson 1845); "Pnoepyga Hodgson, 1844, in J. E. Gray, Zool. Misc., no. 3, p. 82. Type, by subsequent designation (Zimmer and Vaurie, 1954, Bull. Brit. Orn. Cl., 74, p. 41), Tesia albiventer Hodgson." (Deignan in Peters, 1964, X, p. 293). Because of their small size and general appearance, the birds of this genus were formerly known as Wren Babblers. Cupwing is an innovative modern creation, but in my opinion it is a clumsy contrivance and does not scan well; lacking distinctive indigenous names, I suggest the substantives Stubtail or Pintail-babbler.
Var. Proepygia (Gr. προε- proe- before), Pneopyga, Propyga.
Synon. Microura.
