The unfortunate Alcippe (1 Viewer)

As I understand it the Generic name Alcippe BLYTH 1844 (here and here) was coined after the mythological Alcippe (Ἀλκίππη alt. Alkíppē), in Greek mythology the daughter of the War God Ares (a k a Aries or, in Roman mythology; Mars), she was raped by Halirrhothius, Son of Poseidon (Neptune) ...

The thing I find it harder to understand is ... why!?

What made Blyth think of this brutulized, poor woman when he coined this name, of those small, apparently innocent birds? The OD (above) doesn´t tell us more than:

"Has the bill much shorter than the head, approaching nearly in form to that of*Leiothrix; in other respects resembling the foregoing [Malacopteron]; but the toes generally are small and ..."

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The Logic is a bit hard to follow, isn´t it? Short bill, small toes ... and suddenly violation?

Anyone know?

Björn

PS. Unsure if the type of Genus is today's Brown-cheeked Fulvetta Alcippe poioicephala JERDON 1841 (here, as "Thimalia [sic] poioicephala") or Nepal Fulvetta A. nipalensis HODGSON 1837 (OD unseen by me) ... ? Could we again be looking at one of Hodgson's local, Indian/Nepalese names? Or a latinized version of such a name? However not mentioned in Pittie's A dictionary of scientific bird names originating from the Indian region (2004).

There are quite a few other Alcippe's in Greek mythology -- is there an actual reason to believe this is the one Blyth had in mind?

Calalp said:

PS. Unsure if the type of Genus is today's Brown-cheeked Fulvetta Alcippe poioicephala JERDON 1841 (here, as "Thimalia [sic] poioicephala") or Nepal Fulvetta A. nipalensis HODGSON 1837 (OD unseen by me) ... ? Could we again be looking at one of Hodgson's local, Indian/Nepalese names? Or a latinized version of such a name? However not mentioned in Pittie's A dictionary of scientific bird names originating from the Indian region (2004).

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The nominal species that were originally included in Alcippe are:

• A. cinerea ? = Malacopteron cinereus Eyton 1839 ?
• A. affinis = Trichastoma affine Blyth 1842
• A. poiocephala = Thimalia poioicephala Jerdon 1841
• A. atriceps = Brachypteryx atriceps Jerdon 1839
• A. (?) sepiaria = Brachypteryx sepiaria Horsfield 1821
• A. (?) bicolor = Brachypteryx bicolor Lesson 1839

Only the nominal species included unconditionally (no question marks) are eligible to become the type species. (Siva nipalensis Hodgson 1837 [now in Alcippe] was cited by Blyth as a species looking similar to A. poiocephala, but he did not include it in the genus.)


So, to me, the type cannot be Siva nipalensis. But, I'm not clear at all that it is Th. polioicephala either...
Deignan et al 1964 (Peters' check-list, [here]) noted: "Type, by original designation, Thimalia poioicephala Jerdon", and this was repeated recently in H&M4. The name poiocephala appears in three places in this volume of the journal (pp. 370, 381, and 384), as follows:

[...]
and lastly, the T. poiocephala, Jerdon, I refer to an extensive Malayan group, exemplified by Malacopteron, Eyton, which is my Trichastoma, XI, 795, and is hereinafter subdivided, the species in question falling under my division Alcippe, p. 384.
[...]
To the same group must likewise be assigned the Timalia poiocephala of Jerdon's Supplement.
[...]
3. A. poiocephala ; Timalia poiocephala, Jerdon, Supplement to Catalogue. This considerably approaches Siva nipalensis, Hodgson, of the Leiotrichane series ; and has the rictal bristles less elongated, and the feet stouter, with a more robust hind-toe, than in the foregoing. The colour is olive, passing to dark russet on the rump, tail, and wings ; the crown ashy ; and under-parts pale rufescent. Inhabits Southern India.
[...]

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I am quite unable to construe any of these quotes as an original type designation.
In 1846, Gray [here] designated Malachopteron affine (Blyth) = Trichastoma affine Blyth 1842...

l_raty said:

I am quite unable to construe any of these quotes as an original type designation.
In 1846, Gray [here] designated Malachopteron affine (Blyth) = Trichastoma affine Blyth 1842...

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...Which was also the view of Oberholser 1925 [here].

Under current generic limits, if the type is Trichastoma affine Blyth, Alcippe is a junior subjective synonym of Malacopteron.
(Malacopteron Eyton 1839; [OD]; OINS: Malacopteron magnum Eyton 1839 and M. cinereus [sic] Eyton 1839; type by subsequent designation of Gray 1841 [here] (not Strickland 1844 [here], pace Deignan et al 1964 [here]; fortunately the designated species was the same): M. magnum Eyt.).)
How did we depart from this?

Thanks Laurent, and yes, exactly, it was reading that piece by Oberholser that made me uncertain ... but sorting out such matters is far, far beyond my turf. I have also long wondered about the many different mythological Alcippes ... (most of them found on that Wiki-link, in your #2) ...

Either way; if we, this far, stick to "our" Alcippe (the ravished daughter of Ares) note the invalid Generic name "Alcippe" HANCOCK 1849 (i.e. "Alcippe lampas", here) for a burrowing barnacle (in Lepadidae), close to Alepas and Anelasma ... today a synonym of Trypetesa NORMAN 1903 (at least according to this paper, here).

It is the only one, at least, that entirely conceals itself in chambers of its own ...

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Is "our" poor Alcippe maybe known to have withdrawn (in disgrace/shame?) from the public eye?

Simply; hiding ... like those birds?
--

One of the Greek-myth Alcippes turned into a bird, but it was a kingfisher, not a babbler.

Another one was a companion of Helen of Troy, so it's a good name for anything that's less attractive than its neighbor.