Systematic notes on Asian birds. 16. The type of Pitta baudii Müller & Schlegel, 1839 (Pittidae)

Further research into the type of Pitta baudii Müller & Schlegel, 1839, showed that Dickinson et al. (2000) erred in referring to the National Museum of Natural History in Leiden as the collection where a type specimen of this taxon is kept. The correction of the date of description to 1839 has revealed that the four selected specimens cannot be types. The museum received them too late. The confusion has been traced to one of the four being labelled “type”. This we find refers to the illustration by J. Wolf published in June 1845. The 1839 plate was suppressed and the original type relative to this taxon as illustrated therein has not been traced; a depiction of this is therefore of considerable importance. The suppressed plate has been located and is reproduced here.