Object Status:
Extant
Accession Date:
By 1799
Primary Source Reference:
Charles Willson Peale, Lecture on Natural History 18. (ca. 1799). Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40. / https://ansp.org/research/library/archives/0000-0099/coll0040/
Additional Source Text:
Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827) wrote, in his 18th Lecture (ca. 1799): "252. Black throat Barbet. the length of this specimen is 6 Inches & 1/2. the bill is black; the forehead of a fine red; the top, hind part of the head, throat, and neck, are black; above each Eye is a curved stripe of yellow, which as it proceeds downwards, becomes white, and decends in a strait line to the lower part of the neck on each side; under this is a black stripe; and between this and the throat is a band of white, which goes on to, and binds with the breast, from which to the tail. the under parts are white; the upper parts of the body are dark brown speckled with yellow; the wings edged with the same. the lower part of the back yellow, the tail dark with yellow margins, & the feet lead colour. Bucco niger Linn. Barbu de cap de bonne Esperance. Buff. pl. 688. I purchased it without knowing from what country it came, but suppose it a native of Africa." (Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40)
Peale wrote, in "A Walk Through the Philad[elphi]a Museum" (1805–1806): "Black throated Barbet (B. Niger) of the Philippine Islands." (Historical Society of Pennsylvania, coll. 0481)
Notes:
This species is native to southern Africa. Peale's locality error ("Philippines") and the taxonomic entanglement of T. leucomelas with the Pied Puffbird (Notharctus tectus) of South America, were resolved by Matthew R. Halley, 2021, "Lectotypes resolve the taxonomic entanglement of the Acacia Pied Barbet Tricholaema leucomelas (Piciformes: Lybiidae) and Pied Puffbird Notharchus tectus (Piciformes: Bucconidae)", Zootaxa 5071 (3): 447-450. / https://www.mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5071.3.10
Specimen Type:
Dead/preserved
Current Common Name:
Acacia Pied Barbet
Current Scientific Name
Lybiidae | Tricholaema leucomelas
