Buff-chested Babbler

SCI Name:  Cyanoderma ambiguum
Protonym:  Stachyrhidopsis rufifrons ambigua J.BombayNat.Hist.Soc. 23 p.628,631
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Timaliidae / Cyanoderma
Taxonomy Code:  bucbab1
Type Locality:  Gunjong, Barail Range, Assam.
Author:  Harington
Publish Year:  1915
IUCN Status:  

DEFINITIONS

CYANODERMA
(Timaliidae; Ϯ Chestnut-winged Babbler C. erythropterum) Gr. κυανος kuanos  dark-blue; δερμα derma, δερματος dermatos  skin, hide; "Gen. nov. Cyanoderma, SALVAD.  (da κυανεος azzurro, e δερμα pelle)  Differt novum genus Cyanoderma a genere Timelia rostro gracili, acuminato.   Sp. 226 (145). Cyanoderma erythropterum (BLYTH).   ...   Ho creduto di dover stabilire un nuovo genere per questa specie, a causa della forma del becco, diverso da quello delle specie tipiche del genera Timelia. Il nuovo genere Cyanoderma è caratterizzato dalla forma del becco sottile ed appuntato. Quel nome allude al colore azzurro della pelle della testa e del collo negl' individui vivi della specie tipica" (Salvadori 1874); "Cyanoderma Salvadori, 1874, Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, 5, p. 213.  Type, by original designation, Timalia erythroptera Blyth." (Deignan in Peters, 1964, X, pp. 301-302).
Var. Cyanodesma.
Synon. Stachyridopsis.

ambigua / ambiguum / ambiguus
L. ambiguus  doubtful, uncertain  < ambigere  to doubt  < preposition  ambi-  around; agere  to set in motion.
● ex “Grand Ara militaire” of Levaillant 1801, who was uncertain as to whether the Great Green Macaw was distinct from the Military Macaw A. militaris or just a constant variety (Ara).
● Despite an apparent series of transitional specimens between the Black-headed Greenfinch and the Oriental Greenfinch C. sinica, Oustalet 1896, still believed them to be two distinct spp. (Chloris).
● “Similar to S. r. rufifrons  ...  Distribution, — Probably Sikhim, Butan Duars, Assam, Naga Hills and Manipur” (Harington 1915) (subsp. Cyanoderma rufifrons).
● “While it is practically certain that this new bird is a conspecies of M. sclateri, the wide gap in the distribution of the two forms with no close relative known from the intervening area makes me hesitate to unite them at present” ( J. Zimmer 1932) (Myrmotherula).
● “Doubtful Toucan ... The species now selected is one I have never seen; but I have no doubt of its existence, and little of the accuracy of its delineation” (Swainson 1823) (Ramphastos).
● “This Bird is very nearly related to Trog. elegans ... These distinctions, although apparently trivial, having been observed ... in many specimens ... he is induced to regard the two Birds as being, very probably, specifically distinct” (Gould 1835) (Trogon).

SUBSPECIES

Buff-chested Babbler (ambiguum)
SCI Name: Cyanoderma ambiguum ambiguum
ambigua / ambiguum / ambiguus
L. ambiguus  doubtful, uncertain  < ambigere  to doubt  < preposition  ambi-  around; agere  to set in motion.
● ex “Grand Ara militaire” of Levaillant 1801, who was uncertain as to whether the Great Green Macaw was distinct from the Military Macaw A. militaris or just a constant variety (Ara).
● Despite an apparent series of transitional specimens between the Black-headed Greenfinch and the Oriental Greenfinch C. sinica, Oustalet 1896, still believed them to be two distinct spp. (Chloris).
● “Similar to S. r. rufifrons  ...  Distribution, — Probably Sikhim, Butan Duars, Assam, Naga Hills and Manipur” (Harington 1915) (subsp. Cyanoderma rufifrons).
● “While it is practically certain that this new bird is a conspecies of M. sclateri, the wide gap in the distribution of the two forms with no close relative known from the intervening area makes me hesitate to unite them at present” ( J. Zimmer 1932) (Myrmotherula).
● “Doubtful Toucan ... The species now selected is one I have never seen; but I have no doubt of its existence, and little of the accuracy of its delineation” (Swainson 1823) (Ramphastos).
● “This Bird is very nearly related to Trog. elegans ... These distinctions, although apparently trivial, having been observed ... in many specimens ... he is induced to regard the two Birds as being, very probably, specifically distinct” (Gould 1835) (Trogon).

Buff-chested Babbler (planicola)
SCI Name: Cyanoderma ambiguum planicola
planicola
L. planus plain, level ground; -cola dweller < colere to inhabit.

Buff-chested Babbler (adjunctum)
SCI Name: Cyanoderma ambiguum adjunctum
adjuncta / adjunctum
L. adiunctus  belonging to, connected with  < adiungere  to join to.
● "(ii)  Nectarinia amethystina adjuncta, subsp. nov.  ...  Intergrades to the south of its range with the nominate subspecies.  ...  In the average shorter tail-length when compared with Cape and southern Natal examples, N. a. adjuncta exhibits a variational trend common to many endemic Transvaal races of birds." (Clancey 1975) (syn. Chalcomitra amethystina).
● "Stachyris rufifrons adjuncta subsp. nov.  ...  Range.—Haut Laos and Tonkin, French Indo-China.   Stachyris rufifrons insuspecta subsp. nov.  ...  Range.—Bas Laos, French Indo-China; north-western Siam." (Deignan 1939) (subsp. Cyanoderma rufifrons).

Buff-chested Babbler (insuspectum)
SCI Name: Cyanoderma ambiguum insuspectum
insuspecta / insuspectum
Late L. insuspectus  unsuspected  < L. in-  not; suspectus  suspected  < suspicere  to suspect, to look askance at.