The history of the sole surviving mount of Tahiti Sandpiper Prosobonia leucoptera

The only known museum specimen of Tahiti Sandpiper Prosobonia leucoptera, held at Naturalis, Leiden, until now has been considered to be the type collected by J. R. Forster during the second voyage of Captain James Cook (1772–75). However, using archival and published sources, we were able to trace the specimen only back to 1848. Nevertheless, based on a comparison of its taxidermy with material of known provenance, we conclude that it is likely that Anders Sparrman, a member of Cook's second voyage, was involved in mounting the specimen.