Type Specimens of Non-fossil Mammals in the Australian Museum, Sydney
Author
Parnaby, Harry E.
Author
Ingleby, Sandy
Author
Divljan, Anja
text
Records of the Australian Museum
2017
2017-10-06
69
5
277
420
http://dx.doi.org/10.3853/j.2201-4349.69.2017.1653
journal article
10.3853/j.2201-4349.69.2017.1653
2201-4349
5237800
68F315FF-3FEB-410E-96EC-5F494510F440
Dipus mitchellii
Ogilby, 1838b
Lond. Edinb. Phil. Mag. & J. of Sci. 12,
supplement to no. 71, 95–96 [Abstract of
Ogilby, 1838c
]. (
31 January 1838
).
Common name
. Mitchell’s Hopping-mouse.
Current name
.
Notomys mitchellii
(W.
Ogilby, 1838b
)
, following Jackson & Groves (2015), who consider that the entire genus needs a complete taxonomic revision.
Holotype
. Whereabouts unknown. Specimen No.
22 in
catalogue of
AM
specimens of
Bennett (1837)
, from “Reedy Plains, near the junction of the Murray and Murrumbidgee” (
Ogilby, 1838c
). Alleged
syntypes
: PA.73,?sex, skin mount, skull
in situ
; PA.74,?sex, skull, skin mount; both entered by Palmer as “
Hapalotis mitchellii
Lower Murray River”. Collection date and collector not recorded by Palmer. Both specimens registered in c.1878.
Comments
.
Troughton (1941
and subsequent editions) believed that Mitchell’s original material of this taxon was still in the AM Collection. However, in a detailed discussion of the type of this taxon,
Mahoney (1982)
concluded that: a) only a single specimen (i.e. the
holotype
) was available for the drawing upon which Ogilby’s description is based, and that the type locality is
12 km
SE of Lake Boga, NW
Victoria
; b) the
holotype
is likely to be specimen No.
22 in
a catalogue of
Bennett (1837)
, but to date it has not been possible to locate this specimen; c), neither of the two Australian Museum specimens PA.73 and PA.74, cited as types of
mitchellii
(e.g.,
Tate, 1951b: 259
), are likely to be the
holotype
; d) PA.73 and 74 could be specimens listed by
Krefft (1864a)
, either those presented to the AM by Mitchell, or part of the series listed as being obtained on the Lower Murray River.
Ogilby (1892)
states that the type (as
Conilurus mitchellii
) was in the AM but it is not clear if he sighted it, or simply presumed that it was.