Black Guineafowl

SCI Name:  Agelastes niger
Protonym:  Phasidus niger Proc.Acad.Nat.Sci.Philadelphia 8(1856) p.322
Taxonomy:  Galliformes / Numididae / Agelastes
Taxonomy Code:  blagui1
Type Locality:  Cape Lopez, French Congo.
Author:  Cassin
Publish Year:  1857
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

AGELASTES
(Numididae; Ϯ White-breasted Guineafowl A. meleagrides) Gr. αγελαστος agelastos  sullen, grave  < negative prefix α- a- ; γελαστης gelastēs  laugher  < γελαω gelaō  to laugh (cf. Gr. myth. Agelastus, another name for Pluto, gloomy lord of the underworld; Gr. αγελαστικος agelastikos  gregarious  < αγελη agelē  herd  < αγω agō  to lead); "Of the Birds I shall only mention Agelastes meleagrides, Temm., a lesser Talegalla, furnished with a strong spur, very rounded wings, and a flat tail. The head and neck are naked; a very broad white collar; all the rest of the plumage black, finely undulated with white." (Bonaparte 1850); "Agelastes Bonaparte, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1849 (1850), p. 145. Type, by monotypy, Agelastes meleagrides Bonaparte." (Peters 1934, II, p. 133).
Var. Agelastus.

niger
L. niger  black, dark coloured, shining black, jet black (cf. ater  dead black, dusky) (see nigra).
● ex “Black Vulture” of Willughby 1676, and Latham 1781, “Swarthy Vulture” of Charleton 1677, “Vultur niger” of Brisson 1760, and “Avoltojo nero” of Cetti 1776 (syn. Aegypius monachus).
● ?ex “Bouvreuil noir d’Afrique” of Brisson 1760 (Bubalornis).
● ex “Black Hawk” of A. Wilson 1812 (syn. Buteo lagopus sanctijohannis).
● ex “Barbu de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 206, fig. 1 (Capito).
● "70. STERNA.  ...  nigra.  3. S. cauda subforficata, corpore cano, capite rostroque nigro, pedibus rubris. Fn. svec. 128.  Hirundo marina minor. Alb. av. 2. p. 82. t. 89.  Sterna fusca. Raj. av. 131.  Larus cinereus minor. Aldr. orn. . .  Habitat in Europa; vivit in societate." (Linnaeus 1758) (Chlidonias).
● ex “Martinet de S. Domingue. Hirundo apus dominicensis” of Brisson 1760, and “Petit Martinet noir” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (Cypseloides).
● ex “Ibis of Bellonius” of Willughby 1676, and Ray 1713, “Ibis” of Brisson 1760, “Ibis noir” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Black Ibis” of Latham 1785 (syn. Geronticus calvus).
● ex “Black Snipe” of Pennant 1785, and Latham 1785 (syn. Haematopus bachmani).
● ex “Black Rail” of Latham 1785 (syn. Limnocorax flavirostris).
● “Vieillot [1817] probably referred to this species, but the brief description might equally apply to P. fuscicollis” (Ogilvie-Grant 1898) (Microcarbo).
● ex “Yellow-tufted Bee-eater” of Latham 1782 (syn. Moho nobilis).
● ex “Barbu à gorge noires” of de Buffon 1770-1783, “Barbu de l’ile de Luçon” of Sonnerat 1782, and “Black-throated Barbet” of Latham 1782 (syn. Notharchus tectus).
● ex “Mésange Noire” of Levaillant 1803, pl. 137 (Melaniparus).
● ex “Black Shrike” of Latham 1781 (Platypsaris).
● ex “Pluvian du Sénégal” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 918 (syn. Pluvianus aegyptius).
● ex "Troupiale noir de Saint-Domingue" of d'Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 534 (Quiscalus).
● ex "Icterus niger" of Brisson 1760, "Troupiale noir" of de Buffon 1770-1783, and "Black Oriole" of Latham 1782, and Pennant 1785 (syn. Quiscalus niger).
● "60. TROCHILUS.  ...  niger.  13. T. rectricibus subæqualibus, corpore nigro subtus aurato, ano albo.  Trochilus niger. Mus. Ad. Fr. I. p. 13.  Habitat in Indiis." (Linnaeus 1758) (describing a melanistic form of this variable species) (Threnetes).
● "52. CUCULUS.  ...  niger.  6. C. cauda cuneiformi, corpore nigro nitido, rostro flavo.  Cuculus indicus niger. Edw. av. 58. t. 58.  Habitat in Benghala." (Linnaeus 1758) (unident.).