Poodytes Gramineus Bird

English Name:  Little Grassbird
Latin Name:  Poodytes gramineus
Protonym:  Sphenoeacus gramineus Proc.Zool.Soc.London Pt13 no.145 p.19
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Locustellidae / Poodytes
Taxonomy Code:  litgra1
Type Locality:  Tasmania.
Author:  Gould
Publish Year:  1845
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

POODYTES
(Locustellidae; Ϯ Little Grassbird P. gramineus) Gr. ποα poa, ποας poas  grass; δυτης dutēs  diver, plunger  < δυω duō  to plunge; "Gen. POODYTES nov. gen. *) Grasschlüpfer.   272.  1.  P. gramineus Nob.  Sphenoeacus gramineus Gould Birds Aust. III. tab. 35.  Megalurus gramineus Gray Gen. Birds N. 5.    ...    *) Von ποα, und δυω, hineindringen. Nahe verwandt mit Sphenoeacus und als Zwischenstufe zwischen dieser Gattung und Cisticola zu betrachten, unterscheidet sich die Gruppe von ersterer durch den an der Basis weniger hohen Schnabel, durch weniger abgerundete Flügel und den Mangel der Rigidität der Schwanzfedern mit nicht zerschlissinen Fahnenbärten; von Cisticola durch weniger gekrümmtem Schnabel, durch die fehlenden Bartborstchen und durch einen stufigeren Schwanz mit zugespitzten Federn." (Cabanis 1853); "Poodytes Cabanis, 1850 [= 1853], Mus. Heineanum, pt. 1, p. 42. Type, by monotypy, P[oodytes]. gramineus Cabanis = Sphenoeacus gramineus Gould." (Mayr in Peters 1986, XI, 37).   
Synon. Bowdleria, Eremiornis.

graminea / gramineus
L. gramineus grassy, grass-like (i.e. green) < gramen, graminis grass.
● ex “Hausse col vert” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Black-breasted Humming-bird” of Latham 1782 (syn. Anthracothorax viridigula).
● ex “Grass Finch” of Pennant 1785 (Pooecetes).
● ex “Perroquet d’Amboine” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 862, “Grand Perroquet vert à tête bleue” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Amboina Parrot” of Latham 1781 (Tanygnathus).

SUBSPECIES

Little Grassbird (papuensis)
Latin Name: Poodytes gramineus papuensis
papuanus / papuense / papuensis
Papua or New Guinea.
● ex “Petit Lori Papou” of Sonnerat 1776, and “Papouan Lory” of Latham 1781 (syn. Charmosyna papou).
● ex “Choucari de la Nouvelle Guinée” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 630, and “Papuan Crow” of Latham 1781 (Coracina).
● Erroneous TL. New Guinea (= Philippines); ex “Manikor de la Nouvelle Guinée” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 707, fig. 2, “Manikor” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Papuan Manakin” of Latham 1783 (syn. Dicaeum australe).

Little Grassbird (goulburni)
Latin Name: Poodytes gramineus goulburni
goulburni
Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia.

Little Grassbird (gramineus)
Latin Name: Poodytes gramineus gramineus
graminea / gramineus
L. gramineus grassy, grass-like (i.e. green) < gramen, graminis grass.
● ex “Hausse col vert” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Black-breasted Humming-bird” of Latham 1782 (syn. Anthracothorax viridigula).
● ex “Grass Finch” of Pennant 1785 (Pooecetes).
● ex “Perroquet d’Amboine” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 862, “Grand Perroquet vert à tête bleue” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Amboina Parrot” of Latham 1781 (Tanygnathus).

Little Grassbird (thomasi)
Latin Name: Poodytes gramineus thomasi
thomasi
● Dr Ernest Thomas Gilliard (1912-1965) US ornithologist, collector (subsp. Melidectes rufocrissalis).
● Capt. Nicolas-Thomas Baudin (1754-1803) French Navy, cartographer, explorer, commander of expedition to Australia 1800-1803 (subsp. Nesoptilotis leucotis).
● Thomas Carter (1863-1931) English ornithologist, collector, pastoralist, explorer in Australia 1886-1921 (subsp. Poodytes gramineus).