Wailing Cisticola

SCI Name:  Cisticola lais
Protonym:  Drymoica lais Vog.Ost.-Afr.[Finsch & Hartlaub] p.237
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Cisticolidae / Cisticola
Taxonomy Code:  waicis1
Type Locality:  Natal.
Author:  Hartlaub & Finsch
Publish Year:  1870
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

CISTICOLA
(Cisticolidae; † Zitting Cisticola C. juncidis cisticola) Gr. κιστις kistis  little basket  < dim. κιστη kistē  basket; L. -cola  dweller  < colere  to dwell (cf. specific name Sylvia cisticola Temminck, 1820 (= subsp. Cisticola juncidis)); the Zitting Cisticola, formerly known as Fan-tailed Warbler, is the only European member of this wide-ranging Old World, predominantly Afrotropical, genus of small monomorphic warblers; “2. Sylvia cisticola.   ...   2. Zistensänger. Cisticola.   E[ntwickelung]. Wie gewöhnlich.  Ch[arakter]. Kleine Oleandersänger mit hellrostfarbigem, schwarz geflecktem Rücken.  L[ebensart]. Sie leben wie die übrigen Rohrsänger, bauen aber ein trichterförmiges Nest ins hohe Gras.” (Kaup 1829); "Cisticola Kaup, 1829, Skizzirte Entwickelungs-Geschichte Europäisch. Thierwelt, p. 119.  Type, by tautonymy, Sylvia cisticola Temminck." (Traylor in Peters, 1986, XI, p. 84).
Var. Cisiticola.
Synon. Calamanthella, Cistodyta, Drymodyta, Drymodytops, Dryodromas, Hemipteryx, Merion, Neocisticola, Nephelicola, Pseudhemipteryx, Rhathymodyta, Tachydyta, Threnetes, Threnodyta, Threnodytops, Threnolais.

cisticola
Gr. κιστις kistis  little basket  < dim. κιστη kistē  basket; L. -cola dweller < colere to dwell.

lais
Mod. L. laïs  warbler  < Gr. [a] ελαιος elaios  small bird that frequented the olive groves, mentioned by Alexandrios, perhaps some kind of tit Parus, but since conjectured to be a warbler Sylvia or Hippolais; [b] ελεα elea or ελαια elaia  small bird mentioned by Aristotle, Aristophanes and Callimachus, identified as a warbler Acrocephalus; [c] υπολαις hupolais  unidentified ground-nesting bird, variously identified but probably a wheatear Oenanthe (cf. Lais (d. 340BC), celebrated Sicilian courtesan, mistress to Alcibiades, the famed Athenian general, and to Hippostratus of Thessaly (where she was murdered by the jealous wives who feared for the morals and fidelity of their menfolk!) According to some authorities there were two women, a mother and her daughter, of this name).

SUBSPECIES

Wailing Cisticola (Lynes's)
SCI Name: Cisticola lais distinctus
distinctus
L. distinctus distinct  < distinguere  to separate.
• "In my paper on the birds of Gran Canaria I gave a description of the Thick-knees which I obtained in this island and which were remarkable for their almost pure white underparts, the markings upon the breast and flanks being in consequence much bolder.  Other differences are also noted ('Ibis,' 1912, p. 584).  I therefore propose to name the form inhabiting the western Canary group, Œdicnemus œdicnemus distinctus, subsp. nov." (Bannerman 1914) (subsp. Burhinus oedicnemus).
• "2.  Coryphotriccus albovittatus distinctus subsp. nov.  ...  Similar to C. albovittatus (Lawrence), from line of Panama Railway, but decidedly larger; back, etc., much grayer olive; yellow of under parts paler (light canary yellow instead of nearly lemon yellow); and blackish area on side of head much broader." (Ridgway 1908) (subsp. Conopias albovittatus).

Wailing Cisticola (Wailing)
SCI Name: Cisticola lais [lais Group]
CISTICOLA
(Cisticolidae; † Zitting Cisticola C. juncidis cisticola) Gr. κιστις kistis  little basket  < dim. κιστη kistē  basket; L. -cola  dweller  < colere  to dwell (cf. specific name Sylvia cisticola Temminck, 1820 (= subsp. Cisticola juncidis)); the Zitting Cisticola, formerly known as Fan-tailed Warbler, is the only European member of this wide-ranging Old World, predominantly Afrotropical, genus of small monomorphic warblers; “2. Sylvia cisticola.   ...   2. Zistensänger. Cisticola.   E[ntwickelung]. Wie gewöhnlich.  Ch[arakter]. Kleine Oleandersänger mit hellrostfarbigem, schwarz geflecktem Rücken.  L[ebensart]. Sie leben wie die übrigen Rohrsänger, bauen aber ein trichterförmiges Nest ins hohe Gras.” (Kaup 1829); "Cisticola Kaup, 1829, Skizzirte Entwickelungs-Geschichte Europäisch. Thierwelt, p. 119.  Type, by tautonymy, Sylvia cisticola Temminck." (Traylor in Peters, 1986, XI, p. 84).
Var. Cisiticola.
Synon. Calamanthella, Cistodyta, Drymodyta, Drymodytops, Dryodromas, Hemipteryx, Merion, Neocisticola, Nephelicola, Pseudhemipteryx, Rhathymodyta, Tachydyta, Threnetes, Threnodyta, Threnodytops, Threnolais.