On some types of birds (Aves) from the Solomon Islands named by Edward Pierson Ramsay
Abstract
In the years 1879–1882 the Curator of the Australian Museum, Edward P. Ramsay, named 15 bird taxa largely based upon specimens collected in the Solomon Islands by James F. Cockerell in 1878. Investigations based upon the original correspondence and examination of the specimens determined that the specimens used by Ramsay to describe these taxa were dispersed to at least six museums. The number of types collected by Cockerell is larger than previously thought, with only 40 of the 93 known extant type specimens being held by the Australian Museum. The dates of publication of these taxa, the journals of original publication and related nomenclatorial issues are discussed.