On the valid name of the lesser New Zealand short-tailed bat (Mammalia : Chiroptera)

The lesser New Zealand short-tailed bat, sometimes known as Mystacina tuber culata Gray, 1843 was, for 14 years after its description, con founded with the New Zealand long-tailed bat, Vespertilio (now Chalinolobus) tuberculat us. This confusion can be traced to Gray's account, in which he used the na me Vespertilio tuberculatus, attributing it to G. Forster, but also propose d the new genus Mystacina to receive the species. Although Gray did not mak e available two species-group names, two interpretations of his actions are possible, depending on who is considered to be the author of the name tube rculatus. If the author is Gray, Mystacina tuberculata Gray is composite, i n which case the name must be settled on a part of that composite. If the a uthor is G. Forster, Gray's generic name Mystacina is based on a misidentif ied type species, and there is no "Mystacina tuberculata Gray". In that cas e, the specific name must be replaced by the first available name, which is velutina Hutton, 1872, and the current usage of Mystacina may be preserved by choosing the zoological species before Gray as its type species. We rec ommend this course of action because G. Forster is properly the author of V espertilio tuberculatus, and because thereby familiar usage of Mystacina an d Mystacinidae, and current subspecific classification of Mystacina, are pr eserved. The valid name of the lesser New Zealand short-tailed bat is there fore Mystacina velutina Hutton, 1872, and we select Hutton's specimen from the Hutt Valley (near Wellington, North Island, New Zealand) as its lectoty pe.