Taxonomy Snowfinch

many sparrow-larks (eremopterix) once placed in genus pyrrhulauda, causing confusion in taxonomy of unrelated snowfinches

the junior synonyms of montifringilla have convoluted history. pyrgilauda confused case among them: first established charles lucien jules laurent bonaparte junior synonym of pyrrhulauda, , attributed brothers edouard , jules verreaux. pyrrhulauda – established andrew smith before bonaparte – refers sparrow-larks, today placed in eremopterix. j. verreaux indeed seems have been first formally use pyrgilauda particular snowfinch species, in 1871, when described small snowfinch. used southern snowfinch species in late 19th , 20th century, , continues used authors today.

according article 11.6.1. , 50.7. in third , fourth editions of international code of zoological nomenclature, genus pyrgilauda validly established bonaparte possible snowfinch genus name – though did not intend – because many authors after j. verreaux used these birds, , not sparrow-larks. bonaparte had correctly used montifrigilla white-winged snowfinch – snowfinch known – however, , pyrgilauda had remained unused shell of taxon until placed species in it. done j. verreaux, , many erroneously attributed authorship of genus him, although per iczn code article 69.3. technically fixed type species small snowfinch. error occurred in 1982, when g. n. kasin believed pyrgilauda had been established twice, , thought snowfinch genus name – believed have been established verreaux in 1870 – junior homonym of bonaparte s sparrow-lark synonym. set stepaniania replace it. bonaparte s name (as co-opted verreaux , later authors) being valid junior subjective synonym , not preoccupied, stepaniania becomes junior objective synonym of pyrgilauda.

the name orospiza has similar history pyrgilauda. bonaparte merely remarked had been used (aliquī) unspecified authors, while many subsequent sources attributed johann jakob kaup. misunderstanding, , technically valid (though synonymous) name snowfinch genus proposed kaup chionospina. thus, in case of orospiza bonaparte again valid author, though thomas horsfield , frederic moore first set type species. m. nivalis still known snowfinch in 1858 when did this, orospiza junior objective synonym of montifringilla.

for different reasons, orites junior objective synonym of montifringilla. first proposed long-tailed tit (aegithalos caudatus) in moehring s geslachten der vogelen in 1758, ignored work suppressed source of taxa international commission on zoological nomenclature in 1987. consequently, later attempts re-establish name junior synonym of aegithalos preempted erection of orites white-winged snowfinch eugen von keyserling , johann heinrich blasius in 1840. meanwhile, kaup s chionospina misspelled chionospiza george robert gray. it, too, junior objective synonym of montifringilla, ludwig reichenbach s subsequent valid establishment of name still inconsequential – except purely taxonomic purposes, makes neither kaup nor grey valid author of chionospiza, reichenbach. , finally, onychostruthus had established because onychospiza, nikolai przhevalsky s 1876 name proposed monotypic genus of white-rumped snowfinch, preoccupied. had been given rey chestnut-eared bunting (today emberiza fucata) in 1872 already, unnecessary correction – , junior objective synonym – of bonaparte s original onychospina.