WALLACE'S MYSTERY FLYCATCHER

Abstract

The Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research has one specimen associated with the famous naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913), an Asian brown flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica Pallas, 1811). One of the labels states that the specimen was collected by Wallace in Malacca in 1862. It has long been assumed that Wallace gave the specimen to the Raffles Museum. However, historical records reveal that Wallace never visited Malacca in 1862 and did not give specimens to museums. Therefore the Raffles' Flycatcher specimen presents something of a mystery. Was it in fact collected by Wallace and how did it come to the Raffles collection? This article reveals the provenance and meandering international journey of Wallace's Flycatcher from 1862 to the 1930s. © National University of Singapore.