The identity of Captain Cook's quoll Mustela quoll Zimmermann, 1783 (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae).

Abstract

A drawing, accoutitS and vocabularies made during Captain James Cook 's voyage to eastern Australia in 1768-1771 indicate that the name Mustela quoll Zimmermann, 1783, is probably the valid name of the Northern Quail (Dasyurus hallucatus Gould, 1842). Previous allocation of the specific name quoll to the Eastern Quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus (Shaw, 1800)) and the belief that Mustela quoll is not an available name are erroneous. Suppression of M. quoll is sought because introduction of the name would upset a stable nomenclature; it would also cause confusion because the name quoll has been used both as vernacular and scienitific names for the Eastern Quoll.