Austral Rail

SCI Name:  Rallus antarcticus
Protonym:  Rallus Antarcticus Zool.J. 4 p.95
Taxonomy:  Gruiformes / Rallidae / Rallus
Taxonomy Code:  ausrai1
Type Locality:  Straits of Magellan.
Author:  King, PP
Publish Year:  1828
IUCN Status:  Vulnerable

DEFINITIONS

RALLUS
(Rallidae; Ϯ Water Rail R. aquaticus) Probably from Med. French Rasle or Râle  rail (supported by Sundevall 1873: "Nomen Rallus, primum Rasle, Bélon, dein Râle, est vox gallica medii ævi, nec latina, sed usu diuturno probata",  and BOU 1915: “the latinized form of the French Rale, our Rail, Dutch Ral”), but Gessner 1555 states, "Rallus hæc avis circa Venetias appellatur", and Macleod 1954, has “Latinized form of German ralle, rail (bird)”; "83. RALLUS.  Rostrum basi crassius, compressum, dorso attenuatum apicem versus, æquale, acutum.  Pedes tetradactyli, fissi.  Corpus compressum." (Linnaeus 1758); ex “Rallus aquaticus” of Willughby 1676, and “Water Rail. Rallus Aquaticus” of Albin 1731; "Rallus Linné, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, 1758, p. 153. Type, by subsequent designation, Rallus aquaticus Linné. (Fleming, Mem. Wernerian Nat. Hist. Soc., 3, 1821, p. 176.)" (Peters 1934, II, 157). Linnaeus's Rallus comprised five species (R. Crex, R. aquaticus, R. lariformis, R. benghalensis, R. carolinus).
Var. Railus, Ralus, Rallas, Rullus, Ballus.
Synon. Biensis, Epirallus.

antarctica / antarcticus
L. antarcticus  southern, antarctic  < Gr. ανταρκτικος antarktikos  antarctic  < αντι anti  opposite; αρκτος arktos  north.
● Tierra del Fuego; ex “Antarctic Goose” of Latham 1785 (syn. Chloephaga hybrida).
● Antarctic Ocean; ex “Procellaria glacialis, var. β” of Latham 1790 (syn. Fulmarus glacialoides).
● "The vast Island or rather Continent of Australia, Australasia, or New Holland ... Antarctic Pigeon ... Its most distinguishing character is the elegant semi-pendent occipital crest" (Shaw 1794) (Lopholaimus).
● Falklands Is., New Zealand and New Holland; ex “Statenland Eagle” of Latham 1781 (syn. Phalcoboenus australis).
● Within the Antarctic Circle between lat. 36º S and 61º S; ex “Petrel brun et blanc” of de Bougainville 1771, “Antarctic Peteril” of Cook 1777, and Latham 1785, and “Pétrel Antarctique” or “Damier brun” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (Thalassoica).