Merulaxis Ater Bird

English Name:  Slaty Bristlefront
Latin Name:  Merulaxis ater
Protonym:  Merulaxis ater TraitedOrn. livr.5 p.397
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Rhinocryptidae / Merulaxis
Taxonomy Code:  slabri1
Type Locality:  Mexico; error, Rio de Janeiro substituted by Hellmayr, 1924.
Author:  Lesson
Publish Year:  1831
IUCN Status:  Near Threatened

DEFINITIONS

MERULAXIS
(Rhinocryptidae; Ϯ Slaty Bristlefront M. ater) Portmanteau of genera Merula Leach, 1816, blackbird, and Synallaxis Vieillot, 1818, spinetail (cf. L. -ax  inclining towards); “I should have rejoiced had the stern laws of priority allowed the appropriate name, Platyurus, Swains., to be retained instead of a name so absurdly constructed as Merulaxis, Less. Few would discover, without being told, that this word is intended as a compound of Merula and Synallaxis” (Strickland 1841); "CXLVII.^e Genre. MÉRULAXE; Merulaxis, Less.   Bec médiocre, alongé, presque droit, assez fort, trés-comprimé, convexe en dessus, à arête marquée seulement entre les narines, à pointe un peu dentée, crochue; à mandibule inférieure mince, droite, légèrement convexe en dessous; derrière de l'œil nu; narines latérales, amples, recouvertes par une membrane et par les plumes du front, qui sont rigides et dressées; ailes très-courtes, concaves, à cinquième, sixième, septième et huitième rémiges égales et les plus longues; queue longue, rectiligne, à rectrices élargies et molles; tarses alongés, minces, scutellés.    1. MÉRULAXE NOIR; Merulaxis ater, Less., Cent. zool., pl. 30.   ...   2. MÉRULAXE ROUX; Merulaxis rutilus." (Lesson 1831); "Merulaxis Lesson, Traité d'Orn., livr. 5, end of 1830 or beginning of 1831, p. 397. Type, Merulaxis ater Lesson.¹   ...   ¹ This genus as originally constituted contained two "species," M. ater and M. rutilus; the former is the ♂, the latter the ♀ of the same species." (Peters 1951, VII, 281).
Var. Merularis.
Synon. Platyurus, Sarochalinus.

ater
L. ater black, dark, dull, matt black (cf. niger shining black, glossy black).
● ex “Martinet à Croupion Blanc” of Levaillant 1807 (?syn. Apus caffer).
● ex “Black Hawk” of A. Wilson 1812 (syn. Buteo lagopus sanctijohannis).
● ex “Aigle noir huppé d’Amérique” of de Buffon (Sonnini ed.) 1800-1802 (syn. Buteogallus urubitinga).
● ex “Crested black Cuckow” of Latham 1782 (syn. Clamator jacobinus serratus).
● ex “Iribin noir” of Vieillot 1816 (Daptrius).
● ex “Falco columbarius Nebbi“ of Ray 1713, “Schwarzbrauner Habicht” of Frisch 1733, “Black Hawk or Falcon” of Edwards 1743, “Falco niger” of Brisson 1760, “Faucon passager” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 469, and “Black Falcon” of Latham 1781 (syn. Falco peregrinus).
● ex “Merle à gorge noire de Saint-Domingue” (= ☼) of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 559, and de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Black-throated Thrush” of Latham 1783 (syn. Icterus dominicensis).
● ex “Black Gled” of Sibbald 1684, “Braunermaldgeyer” of Kramer 1756, “Milvus niger” of Brisson 1760, “Milan noir” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 472, and “Black Kite “ of Latham 1787 (syn. Milvus migrans).
● ex “Troupiale de la Caroline” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 606, fig. 1, “Petit Troupiale noir” of de Buffon 1770-1785, and “Black Oriole” of Latham 1782 (Molothrus).
● ex “Parus ater” of Gessner 1555, Aldrovandus 1599, and Willughby 1676, “Colemouse” of Ray 1713, and “Parus capite nigro, dorso cinereo, occipite pectoreque albo” of Linnaeus 1746 (Periparus).
● ex “Héoro-taire noir” of Audebert & Vieillot 1802 (syn. Phylidonyris niger).
● ex “Dusky Flycatcher” of Pennant 1785 (syn. Sayornis phoebe).
● ex “Tangara à cravate noire de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 714, fig. 2, and “Camail” or “Cravate” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (syn. Schistochlamys melanopis).
● ex “Ararauna” or “Machao” of de Laet 1633, “Ara noir” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Black Maccaw” of Latham 1781 (unident.).