The Key to Scientific Names
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Architrochilus (See: ARCHILOCHUS)
ARCHILOCHUS (Trochilidae; Ϯ Black-chinned Hummingbird A. alexandri) Archilochus (fl. 600 BC) Parian poet famous for his savage wit and flouting of convention; "*Selasphorus ... * β. Archilochus Alexandri (Tr. — BOURC. 1846.) RCHB. — Mex.: Sierra Madre." (Reichenbach 1854); "Selasphorus β Archilochus Reichenbach, Journ. f. Orn., 1, 1854, Beil. zu Extrah., p. 13. Type, by monotypy, Trochilus alexandri Bourcier, i.e. Bourcier and Mulsant." (Peters, 1945, V, p. 134). One of numerous hummingbird genera diagnosed by Reichenbach 1854, commemorating classical artisans, following the precedents set by Linnaeus, Brisson, and other eighteenth century authors, who culled many names from the classics and mythology to express close relationship between groups of species in large, unwieldy genera.
Var. Architrochilus.
Synon. Colubris, Cynanthus, Trochilus.- Architrochilus
(Trochilidae; syn. Archilochus † Black-chinned Hummingbird A. alexandri) Gr. αρχι- arkhi- first, chief < αρχων arkhōn, αρχοντος arkhontos king, chief < αρχω arkhō to rule; genus Trochilus Linnaeus, 1758, hummingbird; "(B) Summer residents ... Architrochilus alexandri ... Genus ARCHITROCHILUS. ... Black-chinned Humming-bird. Architrochilus alexandri. A.O.U. Checklist no 429" (W. Sclater 1912); "Architrochilus W. Sclater, 1912, History Birds Colorado, pp. xv, 252. New name for Archilochus Reichenbach, 1854; Sclater probably misunderstood the classical basis of the original generic name." (JAJ 2020) (see Archilochus).
- Melanotrochilus
(Trochilidae; syn. Florisuga Ϯ Black Jacobin F. fusca) Gr. μελας melas, μελανος melanos black; genus Trochilus Linnaeus, 1758, hummingbird; "MELANOTROCHILUS FUSCUS ... La femelle de cet oiseau est beaucoup plus semblable au ♂ que dans l'espèce précédente, ce qui est encore une raison de plus de le séparer du Florisuga mellivora, et de le comprendre dans le sous-genre nouveau auquel nous donnons le nom de Melanotrochilus. Cet oiseau est d'ailleurs très-facile à reconnaître, par ses couleurs noires et sa queue d'un blanc pur." (Eudes-Deslongchamps 1880); "Melanotrochilus Deslongchamps, Guide du Naturaliste, 2, 1880, p. 7. Type, by monotypy, Trochilus fuscus Vieillot." (Peters, 1945, V, p. 22).
- OREOTROCHILUS
(Trochilidae; † Andean Hillstar O. estella) Gr. ορος oros, ορεος oreos mountain (i.e. Bolivian Andes) ; genus Trochilus Linnaeus, 1758, hummingbird; "Genus OREOTROCHILUS, n. g. Rostrum capite longius, subcylindricum, apulo incurvum. Alæ subgrandes valentes. Cauda magna, rotundata, rectricibus attenuatis, submucronatis, rigidis. Pedes fortes. Digitus et unguis postici digito et ungui mediis longitudine æquales. Tarsi plumis vestiti. Gula luminosa infra torquata. ... I propose this term as a generic appellation for a section of the Trochilidæ, which has hitherto only been found immediately beneath the line of perpetual congelation, where they feed upon the insects which resort to the newly expanded flowers. The type is Sp. 1. OREOTROCHILUS ESTELLA. Orthorhynchus Estella, D'Orb. Voy. Am. Birds, pl. 6. fig.1. ... O. Ceciliæ, Less. Rev. Zool. 1839, p. 43. Sp. 2. OREOTROCHILUS LEUCOPLEURUS, sp. nov. ... Sp. 3. OREOTROCHILUS CHIMBORAZO. T. Chimborazo, Bourc. in Rev. Zool. Sept. 1846, p. 305. Sp. 4. OREOTROCHILUS ADELA. Orthorhynchus Adela, D'Orb. Voy. Am. Birds, pl. 61. fig. 2 ... Sp. 5. OREOTROCHILUS MELANOGASTER, sp. nov." (Gould 1847); "Oreotrochilus Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, pt. 15, 1847, p. 9. Type, by original designation, Orthorhynchus estella d'Orbigny = Trochilus estella d'Orbigny and Lafresnaye." (Peters, 1945, V, p. 93).
Var. Oriotrochilus.
Synon. Alcidius, Gnaphocercus, Orotrochilus.- Orotrochilus
(Trochilidae; syn. Oreotrochilus † Andean Hillstar O. estella) Gr. ορος oros, ορεος oreos mountain; genus Trochilus Linnaeus, 1758, hummingbird; "Gen. OROTROCHILUS **) Gould 1847. — Oreotrochilus ***) (!) Gould 1847. ... ***) Da Oreotrochilus als sechssylbiges Wort nicht anwendbar, verkürzen wir dasselbe Analogie von οροσπιζης u. a. in Orotrochilus." (Cabanis & Heine 1860); “Orotrochilus Cabanis and Heine, 1860, Museum Heineanum, III, p. 15. New name for Oreotrochilus Gould, 1847, a six-syllabled word considered dissonant and unacceptable.” (JAJ 15/4/2024).
- trochilus
Gr. τροχιλος trokhilos small woodland bird mentioned by Aristotle, identified by later writers with the wren.
● "99. MOTACILLA. ... Trochilus. 31. M. cinereo-virens, remigibus subtus flavescentibus, superciliis luteis. Fn. svec. 236. Regulus non cristatus. Aldr. orn. l. 17. c. 2. Will. orn. 164. t. 42. Raj. av. 80. n. 10. Alb. av. 2. p. 55. t. 59. f. A. Frisch. av. . . t. 24. f. 2. Habitat in Europa. Conf. Locustella. Will. orn. 151. Alauda minima locustæ voce. Raj. av. 70; pro eadem habet. Mus. petron. 380." (Linnaeus 1758) (Phylloscopus).
● "238. SYLVIA TROCHILUS. ... Parva et distincta etiam a longe voce singulari (Tin, Ton)." (Scopoli 1769) (syn. Phylloscopus collybita).
● Gr. τροχιλος trokhilos unidentified riverside bird. Wilkinson 1841, considered the Trochilus of Herodotus to be the Egyptian Plover (syn. Pluvianus aegyptius).- TROCHILUS
(Trochilidae; † Red-billed Streamertail T. polytmus) L. trochilus either (1) a small woodland bird or (2) a riverside bird < Gr. τροχιλος trokhilos small bird mentioned by Aristotle, identified by later writers with the wren Troglodytes. The name was further used by Aristotle, Herodotus, Athenaios, Aristophanes, and Dionysios for the ‘crocodile-bird’ (so called because it fed on leeches from the open jaws of basking crocodiles), identified by later authors with the Egyptian Plover Pluvianus, the Spur-winged Plover Vanellus, or the Common Sandpiper Actitis. Its use for the Jamaican Red-billed Streamertail can only allude to the former identification and the hummingbird’s small size; "60. TROCHILUS. Rostrum subulato-filiforme, incurvatum, capite longius: Mandibula superior vaginans inferiorem. Lingua filiformis, bipartito-tubulosa ... Trochili aviculæ minimæ; aliæ rostro recurvo, aliæ incurvo, aliæ recto. Mel e floribus hauriunt more Bombylii, nec plantis inhærent." (Linnaeus 1758); "Trochilus Linné, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 119. Type, by subsequent designation, Trochilus polytmus Linné. (G. R. Gray, List Gen. Bds., 1840, p. 14)." (Peters, 1945, V, p. 56). Linnaeus's Trochilus comprised eighteen species (T. paradiseus, T. afer, T. Pella, T. Polytmus, T. forficatus, T. Colubris, T. Ourissia, T. Mosquitus, T. holosericeus, T. mellisugus, T. Tomineo, T. surinamensis, T. niger, T. mellivorus, T. ruber, T. Mango, T. cristatus, T. minimus).
Var. Throchilus, Trochillus, Trochils, Troglodites.
Synon. Aithurus, Mellisuga, Phaethornis, Polytmus.
● (Trochilidae; syn. Archilochus † Ruby-throated Hummingbird A. colubris). "In 1840, Gray designated T. polytmus Linn. as the type, but in 1855 changed the type to T. colubris Linn., which has been the universally recognized type ever since ... Article 30 [ICZN] renders it necessary to accept T. polytmus as the type of Trochilus, and some other name is necessary for the group universally known for more than half a century as Trochilus" (Allen 1908).
Var. Trochylus.
● (Trochilidae; syn. Heliomaster † Long-billed Starthroat H. longirostris) "TROCHILUS. Rostrum rectissimum. Cauda mediocris, æqualis, vel rotunda. Types. 1. T. superbus, Shaw. 2. pileatus, Lath. 3. collaris, L, 4. O. M. à double huppe. Temm., Pl. col. 18. f. 3." (Swainson 1827); "Trochilus Swainson, 1827 (not Linnaeus, 1758), Zool. Journal, III (xi), p. 357. Type, by subsequent designation (Elliot, 1879, Smithsonian Contrib. Knowledge, 317, Classif. Synop. Trochilidae, p. 82), Trochilus superbus Shaw and Nodder, 1802 = Trochilus longirostris Audebert and Vieillot, 1802." (JAJ 2020).
● (Phylloscopidae; syn. Phylloscopus † Chiffchaff P. collybita) "SYLVIA HIPPOLAIS. Trochilus Minor. Lesser Pettychaps, or Lesser Willow Wren, Chiff Chaff, or Chipator" (T. Forster 1817); "c. Sylvains muscivores, Sylvanæ muscivoræ, Temminck. - Le G. Trochilus, Pouillot, Nob. - Sylvia, Swains. - Ancien continent" (de La Fresnaye 1839).
● (Recurvirostridae; syn. Recurvirostra † Pied Avocet R. avosetta) "86. TROCHILVS.* Numenii species. LINN. gen. 59. Recuruirostra Auctorum. LINN. ed. 6. gen. 56." (Moehring, 1752, Avium Genera, p. 74 (pre-Linnaean)); “RECURVIROSTRA, L. Numenius, p. L. (1735). Trochilus, Mœhr. (1752). Avocetta, Briss. (1760). R. avocetta, L. Pl. enl. 353.” (G. Gray 1841); “Trochilus “Moehr.” G. Gray, 1841, List Genera Birds, 2nd ed., p. 89 (not Linnaeus, 1758). Type, by original designation, R. avocetta L., i.e. Recurvirostra avosetta Linnaeus, 1758.” (JAJ 2023).
● (Sylviidae; syn. Sylvia † Eurasian Blackcap S. atricapilla) "RENNIE, following the example of his superiors, has made changes which no law of science can justify, as for Salicaria he has substituted Ripæcola, for Rubecula, Rhondella; for Silvia, Trochilus,* &c., and thus he formed a nomenclature for his own use, as it were, for of course, no one would follow him. ... *The worthy professor seems to be unaware that Trochilus is the latin generic name for the Colibrees or Humming-birds." (C. T. Wood 1837).
Var. Trochillus.
