Key to Scientific Names

Legend Overview

UPPERCASE: current genus Uppercase first letter: generic synonym ● and ● See: generic homonyms lowercase: species and subspecies ●: early names, variants, misspellings ‡: extinct †: type species Gr.: ancient Greek L.: Latin <: derived from syn: synonym of /: separates historical and modern geographic names ex: based on TL: type locality OD: original diagnosis (genus) or original description (species)

More details: Guide to key entries Standard abbreviations and symbols

The Key to Scientific Names

Edited by James A. Jobling

1 to 35 of 35 results

anna

● Anna Debelle Princesse d’Essling and Duchesse de Rivoli (1802-1887) Chief Lady-in-Waiting to the Empress Eugénie, and wife of French collector François Victor Masséna 3rd Prince d’Essling and 2nd Duc de Rivoli (1799-1863) (Calypte).
● Anna Prentice Dole née Cate (1842-1918) wife of Judge Sanford B. Dole, President of the Hawaiian Republic 1893-1898 (‡Ciridops).
● Françoise Anna Masséna d'Essling et de Rivoli (1824-1902) daughter of French collector François Victor Masséna 3rd Prince d’Essling and 2nd Duc de Rivoli (syn. Prosopeia tabuensis).

annabelae / annabellae

Annabella Forbes née Keith (1855-1922) Scottish collector, explorer, wife of botanist Henry Ogg Forbes (subsp. Myzomela boiei).

annae

● Annie Constance Meinertzhagen née Jackson (1888-1928) Scottish ornithologist, second wife of Col. R. Meinertzhagen (subsp. Ammomanes deserti, subsp. Anthus cinnamomeus, syn. Cisticola juncidis).
● Anna Stejneger née Normann (1852-1914) wife of Norwegian zoologist Dr Leonhard Stejneger (subsp. Artamella viridis).
● Anna Antoinette Weber van Bosse (1852-1942) Dutch botanist, collector in the East Indies 1888-1890, 1899-1900, with her husband Max Carl Wilhelm Weber (Dicaeum).
● Anna Gräfin Branicka (1863-1953) wife of Polish ornithologist Ksawery Graf Branicki (syn. Heliodoxa rubinoides cervinigularis, Ocreatus).
● Female eponym; dedicatee not yet identified (Hartlaub & Finsch 1868, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 5, pl. 2); perhaps after a relative of Hartlaub or Finsch, or of the magnate Godeffroy, or, doubtfully, after Anna Kubary née Yelliott (d. 1937) daughter of US missionary on Ponapé / Pohnpei and wife of Polish collector Jan S. Kubary (Michael Grayson in litt.) (Horornis).
● Anne Tilney Sage née Holmes (1910-1996) US collector, first wife of ornithologist Dean Sage, Jr. (syn. Ithaginis cruentus berezowskii).
● Anna Ivanovna Sushkina née Kulakova (1881-1947) wife of Russian ornithologist Petr Petrovich Sushkin (Björn Bergenholtz and Laurent Raty in litt.) (syn. Leucosticte brandti).

annalisa

Anneliese Heinrich née Machatchek (1901-1979) first wife of German/Polish collector Gerhardt H. Heinrich (subsp. Ficedula hyperythra).

annamarulae

Anna Marula Forbes-Watson née Kofsky (1941-2006) wife of British zoologist Alexander D. Forbes-Watson (Melaenornis).

annamense / annamensis

Annam Protectorate, French Indochina / central Vietnam.

Annamormis

(Caprimulgidae; syn. Antrostomus Ϯ Rufous Nightjar A. rufus) Anna May Davis née Tarrence (1900-1973) wife of US ornithologist L. Irby Davis; Gr. ὁρμιζω hormizō to rest in safety (i.e. deceased) (cf. ορνις ornis bird); "ANNAMORMIS new genus. Type species: Caprimulgus rufus (Boddaert) 1783. Diagnosis: Physical characteristics are the same as given by Ridgway for Antrostomus except for the special characters allowed because of "A. goldmani" and A. ridgwayi which are herein excluded. The important characteristics of the genus are shown by acoustical analysis of the "territorial call" phrase of the type species. This indicates the use of an oscellator to produce a slow vibrato on the down slope of the relatively wide "Will" figure that terminates the phrase. This indicates the use of a tissue not present in, or at least never used by, other related groups, and the unique behavior to put this oscellator into use. The warble wave produced shows a rate of about 35 Hz (cycles per second). The "Will" in this genus also differs from all others in that it is a single isolated figure with no attached segment. This genus is named in honor of my wife, Anna May, who offered so much encouragement and inspiration for my research in acoustics during the last 27 years of her life." (L. Davis 1978); "Annamormis Davis, 1978, Pan American Studies, 1 (1), p. 39. Type, by original designation, Caprimulgus rufus Boddaert, 1783." (JAJ 2020).
Var. Annamornus, Annamornis.

Annas (See: ANAS) ANAS

(Anatidae; Ϯ Mallard A. platyrhynchos) L. anas, anatis duck. The Mallard is the wild ancestor of the farmyard duck and its many domesticated forms; "61. ANAS. Rostrum lamelloso-dentatum, convexum, obtusum. Lingua ciliata, obtusa." (Linnaeus 1758); "Anas Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, p. 122. Type, by subsequent designation (Lesson, 1828, Man. Ornith., 2, p. 417), Anas boschas Linnaeus = Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus." (Johnsgard in Peters, 1979, I, 2nd ed., p. 460). Linnaeus's Anas comprised thirty-nine species (A. Cygnus, A. Cygnoid, A. Tadorna, A. spectabilis, A. fusca, A. nigra, A. Anser, A. erythropus, A. canadensis, A. cærulescens, A. Bernicla, A. mollissima, A. moschata, A. bahamensis, A. Albeola, A. clypeata, A. platyrhynchos, A. strepera, A. bucephala, A. Clangula, A. rustica, A. perspicillata, A. Glaucion, A. Penelope, A. acuta, A. hyemalis, A. ferina, A. Querquedula, A. Crecca, A. histrionica, A. minuta, A. Circia, A. autumnalis, A. Boschas, A. adunca, A. galericulata, A. Sponsa, A. arborea, A. Fuligula).
Var. Annas, Anos, Anus, Asnas.
Synon. Aethiopinetta, Afranas, Aldabranas, Archeoquerquedula, Boschas, Crecca, Dafila, Dafilonettion, Dafilula, Elasmonetta, Horizonetta, Melananas, Micronetta, Nesonetta, Nettion, Notonetta, Pachyanas, Paecilonitta, Phasianurus, Philippinetta, Polionetta, Trachelonetta, Virago, Xenonetta.
● (Anatidae; syn. Spatula † Northern Shoveler S. clypeata) “Anas, Linn. (fig. 329. c. 330. c) Bill excessively broad towards the tip, narrowed at its base. The laminæ of the upper mandible slender, and considerably prolonged beyond the margins. A. clypeata. Pl. Enl. 971.” (Swainson 1837); “Anas “Linn.” Swainson, 1837, Nat. Hist. Classification Birds, II, p. 367 (not of Linnaeus, 1758). Type, by monotypy, Anas clypeata Linnaeus, 1758.” (JAJ 2023).

Cannabia

(Fringillidae; syn. Linaria Ϯ Common Linnet L. cannabina) Gr. κανναβις kannabis or κανναβιον kannabion hemp, cannabis; βιος bios mode of life; "G. 16. CANNABIA*), Sv. Hämpling. ... *) Hab. gener. præcedentis [Spermologa]. Nomen gener. e Kανναβιος, qui de Cannabi vivit. derivare nobis necesse fuit. quam hoc genus diversum videtur et denominatio Cuvieri, carduelis, (verbum adjectivum) ut nomen genericum ineptum est." (Billberg 1828); "Cannabia Billberg, 1828, Synopsis Faunae Scandinaviae, I, (2), tab A, p. 31. New name for "Carduelis Cuvier," considered grammatically unsuitable." (JAJ 2021).

cannabina / cannabinus

L. cannabinus hempen < Gr. κανναβινος kannabinos hempen < κανναβις kannabis hemp, cannabis; "98. FRINGILLA. ... cannabina. 22. F. remigibus primoribus rectricibusque nigris utroque margine albis. Fn. svec. 209. Linaria rubra major. Will. orn. 191. t. 46. Raj. av. 90. n. 2. Alb. av. 3. p. 68. t. 72. 73. Frisch. av. 2. t. 9. f. 1. 2. Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Linaria).

Cannabina

(Fringillidae; syn. Linaria † Common Linnet L. cannabina) Gr. κανναβινος kannabinos of hemp, hempen < κανναβις kannabis hemp, cannabis; "Hänfling. Cannabina, Brehm. ... 1) Der Fichtenbluthänfling. Cannabina pinetorum, Br. (Fringilla cannabina, Linn. ... 2) Der Buschbluthänfling. Cannabina arbustorum, Br. (Fr. cannabina, Linn. ... 1) Der Berghänfling. Cannabina montium, Br. (Fr. flavirostris, Linn.) ... 2) Der gelbschnäblige Hänfling. Cannabina flavirostris, Br. (Fr. flavirostris, Linn. ... 3) Der mittlere Berghänfling. Cannabina media, Br. (Fr. flavirostris, Linn.)" (Brehm 1831); "Cannabina C. Brehm, 1831, Handbuch Naturgesch. Vögel Deutschlands, p. 275. Type, by tautonymy, Fringilla cannabina Linnaeus, 1758." (JAJ 2021).
Var. Canabina.

Cannabis

(Fringillidae; syn. Acanthis † Redpoll A. flammea) Gr. κανναβις kannabis hemp; "In Cannabis linaria (Fringilla linaria, L., v. Linaria canescens, Gould), as compared with C. minor, a difference of size is combined with a very slight one of plumage, and the song-notes are here again distinguishable." (Blyth 1850); "Cannabis Blyth, 1850, Journal Asiatic Soc. Bengal, XIX (3), p. 224. Type, by subsequent designation (Richmond, 1917, Proc. U. S. National Museum, 53, no. 2221, p. 582), Fringilla linaria Linnaeus, 1758 = Fringilla flammea Linaneus, 1758." (JAJ 2021).

cayana / cayanensis / cayanna / cayanus

Cayenne or French Guiana < French Cayenne equivalent of Guyana (unrelated to the name of the Cayenne pepper, which is Tupí based). In early ornithology “Cayenne” was often used of species of uncertain provenance presumed to be from Amazonia (see cajana).
● ex “Gros-bec de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Caryothraustes canadensis).
● ex “Cotinga de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (Cotinga).
● ex “Grimpereau verd de Cayenne” (♂= ♀) of Brisson 1760 (syn. Cyanerpes caeruleus).
● ex “Grimpereau verd de Cayenne” (=♀) of Brisson 1760 (syn. Cyanerpes cyaneus).
● ex “Geay de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (Cyanocorax).
● ex “Blue Manakin” of Edwards 1751, and “Pipit bleu de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (Dacnis).
● ex “Tangara noir de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (syn. Euphonia cayennensis).
● ex “Têtema de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 821 (syn. Formicarius colma).
● Erroneous TL. St Thomas (= Cayenne); ex “Carouge de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760, and “Yellow-wing’d Pye” of Edwards 1764 (Icterus).
● ex “Petit autour de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 473, and “Cayenne Falcon” of Latham 1781 (Leptodon).
● ex “Gobe-mouche de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (Myiozetetes).
● ex “Bihoreau de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 899, and de Buffon 1770-1786 (syn. Nyctanassa violacea).
● ex “Coucou de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (Piaya).
● Erroneous TL. Cayenne (= ?Chile); ex “Grèbe de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 404, fig. 1, and “Grand Grèbe” of de Buffon 1770-1785 (syn. Podiceps major).
● ex “Râle de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 368 (syn. Rufirallus viridis).
● ex “Coq-de-Roche” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 39 (syn. Rupicola rupicola).
● ex “Griverd de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 616, “Grivert” or “Rolle de Cayenne” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Cayenne Roller” of Latham 1781 (?syn. Saltator maximus).
● ex "Tangara verd de Cayenne" of Brisson 1760 (Stilpnia).
● ex “Cayenna Tern” of Latham 1785 (syn. Thalasseus maximus).
● ex “Pie-griesche grise de Cayenne” of Brisson 1760 (Tityra).
● ex “Pie-griêche tachetée de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 377 (syn. Tityra cayana).
● ex "Pluvier armé de Cayenne" of d'Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 833, and de Buffon 1770-1785 (Vanellus).

Eranna

(Trochilidae; syn. Amazilia † Cinnamon Hummingbird A. rutila) Gr. εραννος erannos lovely < εραμαι eramai to love; "Gen. Eranna Nob.: Unter diesem von εραννος (lieblich, anmuthig) entlehnten Namen sondere ich die früher unserer Gattung Pyrrhophaena angehörenden Arten des Genus Pyrrhophaena Gould (nec Cab. & Heine) von denen, welche Gould aus unserer Gattung Hemithylaca hinzunahm, da ich es für unstatthaft halte, diese beiden zwischen den streng typischen Pyrrhophaenae und Hemithylacae gleichsam vermittelnden Gruppen generisch zu vereinigen, und stelle desshalb hierher die folgenden Species: 1. E. cinnamomea. — Ornismya cinnamomea Less. ... 2. E. yucatanensis. — Trochilus yucatanensis Cabot. ... 3. E. cerviniventris. — Amazilia cerviniventris Gould ... 4. E. castaneiventris. — Amazilia castaneiventris Gould ... 5. E. suavis. — Pyrrhophaena suavis Cab. & Heine ... 6. E. Riefferi. — Trochilus Riefferi Bourc. ... 7. E. jucunda. — Amazilia Riefferi Scl. (nec Bourc.) ... 8. E. Dubusi. — Trochilus Dubusi Bourc. ... 9. E. beryllina. — Trochilus beryllinus Licht. ... 10. E. Devillei. — Trochilus Devillei Bourc. & Muls." (Heine 1863); "Eranna Heine, 1863, Journ. für Ornith., XI, p. 187. Type, by subsequent designation (Elliot, 1879, Smithsonian Contrib. Knowledge, 317, Classif. Synop. Trochilidae, p. 216), Ornismya cinnamomea Lesson, 1842 (not of Gervais, 1835) = Ornismya rutila DeLattre, 1843." (JAJ 2020).

graceannae

Grace Anna Lewis (1821-1912) US botanist, teacher (Icterus).

hannahiae

Hannah Cassin née Wright (1806-1888) wife of US ornithologist John Cassin (subsp. Stilpnia cyanicollis).

indulkanna

Indulkanna Springs, Indulkanna Ranges / Indulkana Ranges, South Australia.

joannae

Jeanne La Touche (1909-1922) daughter of Irish ornithologist John David Digues La Touche (syn. Calliope obscura, syn. Zosterops palpebrosus siamensis).

johannae

Med. L. Johanna Joanna, Jeanne, Jean, Jane.
● Johanna, former name for Anjouan I., Comoro Is. (syn. Ardea cinerea firasa (ex “Johanna Heron” of Latham 1785), subsp. Corythornis vintsioides).
● Henriette Jeanne Verreaux née Bodier (1826-1895) wife of French natural history dealer Édouard Verreaux (Cinnyris, syn. Columba delegorguei).
● Jane Cooke née Loddiges (1812-1843) English botanical painter, daughter of trochilidist George Loddiges (Doryfera).
● Adrienne Marie Louise Jeanne Leforestier (b. 1893) natural daughter of French zoologist Dr Louis L. Brasil and Marie Blanche Leforestier (Martin Schneider, Paul Scofield and Laurent Raty in litt.) (syn. Haliastur sphenurus).
● Jane Anne Eliza Sclater née Hunter Blair (1836-1915) wife of English ornithologist Philip Lutley Sclater (subsp. Pampusana beccarii).
● Jane Ashton Whitehead née Tinker (1829-1899) mother of English explorer John Whitehead (Björn Bergenholtz in litt.) (syn. Prionochilus plateni).
● Jeanne Henriette de Dalmas (1888-1978) daughter of French ornithologist Raymond Comte de Dalmas (Martin Schneider in litt.) (Tangara).

kannagietri (See: kannegieteri) kannegieteri

Jan Zacharias Kannegieter (1862-1899) Dutch entomologist, collector in Ceylon and the East Indies (subsp. Coracina striata).

leucomanna (See: turcomana / turcomanus) turcomana / turcomanus

Med. L. Turcomannus Turcoman < Turcus Turk.

macleannani (See: mcleannani) mcleannani

James McLeannan (?1815-1869) Scots engineer on Panama railway, collector (Phaenostictus).

makarauanna (See: makarouanna) makarouanna

Doubtless a combination of “Maccaw” of Latham 1781, and an actual (e.g. Tupí Maracana macaw) or supposed native name, e.g. Pavouane noble, a local name in Cayenne for a type of macaw (Leech 1989); ex “Ara tricolor” of Levaillant 1801-1805, pl. 3 (syn. Ara tricolor).

makawuana / makawuanna

Doubtless a combination of “Maccaw” of Latham 1781, and an actual or supposed native name, e.g. Pavouane noble, a local name in Cayenne for a type of macaw (Leech 1989); ex “Perruche-Ara de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 864, “Perriche-Ara” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Parrot Maccaw” of Latham 1781 (syn. Orthopsittaca manilata).

mariannae

● Marianne Is. / Mariannas / Mariana Is., Pacific Ocean (named after Mariana of Austria (1634-1696) Queen-Consort and Queen-Regent of Spain) (syn. Acrocephalus luscinia).
● Dr. Marianne Kleinschmidt née Claus (1908-2005) German physician, wife of ornithologist Adolf Kleinschmidt and daughter-in-law of ornithologist Otto Kleinschmidt (syn. Sephanoides sephaniodes) (Martin Schneider and Georg Kleinschmidt in litt.).

meleannani

Original spelling of specific name Phlogopsis mcleannani Lawrence, 1860.

moorilyanna

Moorilyanna Well, Everard Ranges, South Australia.

Pampusanna

(Columbidae; syn. Gallicolumba † Mindanao Bleeding-heart G. crinigera) Specific name Columba pampusan Quoy & Gaimard, 1824 (= syn. Alopecoenas xanthonurus); "81. PAMPUSANNE CRINIGÈRE.— PAMPUSANNA CRINIGER. Pl. 27, fig. 2. Vert sur la tête et le dessus du cou: région abdominale de couleur blanche au milieu, de couleur rousse sur les côtés. Syn. PÉRISTÈRE CRINIGÈRE, Homb. et Jacq. Voy. au Pôle sud, pl. 27, fig. 2. ... Cette espèce, originaire des îles Solo (Soog), appartient au genre Pampusanna, récemment créé par M. Charles Bonaparte, et dont fait partie la Colombe poignardée (Col. Cruenta, Gm.). Elle a évidemment des rapports intimes avec ce type; mais ce dernier offre des reflets cuivrés sur le dessus de la tête et du cou; son abdomen est, en outre, plus largement coloré de blanc, de sorte qu'il est réellement impossible de faire aucune confusion." (Pucheran 1853); "Pampusanna [sic] Pucheran, Voy. Pôle Sud, Zool., 3, 1853, Mamm. et Ois., p. 118. Type, by subsequent designation, Peristera criniger Reichenb. (G. R. Gray, List Gen. Subgen. Bds., 1855, p. 101.)" (Peters, 1937, III, p. 133) (see Pampusana).

sannagae

Sannaga River / Sanaga R., Cameroon.

savanna

Savannah, Georgia, USA.

savannae

● Mod. L. savannae of the savannahs < Spanish zavana open treeless plain (syn. Streptopelia vinacea grotei).
● German Savanne savannah < Spanish zavana open treeless plain (syn. Zosterops senegalensis).

savannarum

Mod. L. savannarum of the savannahs < Spanish zavana open, treeless plain.
● ex “Savanna Bird” of Ray 1713, and Sloane 1725, “Passer jamaicensis” of Brisson 1760, and “Savanna Finch” of Latham 1783 (Ammodramus).

susannae

Lady Susan Emmeline Macleay née Deas Thomson (1838-1903) wife of Scottish/Australian settler and politician Sir William John Macleay (syn. Paradisaea decora).

tannaensis / tannensis