Chapter 4

Pallasgives the first recognizable description of this bird, which, as translated from the Latin, is as follows: "Of the size of a very large goose. Of the shape of the former (sc. Cormorants), which it also resembles in the white patches on the flanks. The body is entirely black. A few long, white, narrow pendant plumes round the neck, as in Herons. Occiput with a huge tuft, doubly crested. Skin round the base of the bill bare, red, blue and white, mixed, as in a turkey. Round the eyes a thick, bare white patch of skin, about six lines wide, like a pair of spectacles. Weight 12 to 14 pounds. Female smaller, without crest and spectacles. (From Steller.)"

Steller, who was shipwrecked on Bering Island in 1741, was the discoverer ofC. perspicillatus, and Pallas took his diagnosis from Steller's notes.

The Spectacled or Pallas's Cormorant is one of the rarest of all birds. It is generally said that four specimens are known, but five are really in existence: Two in the St. Petersburg Museum, one in Leyden, and two in London. One of these latter is perfect, while the other has no tail. Probably all five have been obtained by Kuprianoff, the Russian Governor at Sitka, who, in 1839, gave one to Captain Belcher, and sent some others to St. Petersburg. The careful researches of Stejneger and others on Bering Island have clearly shown that this Cormorant exists no longer. Formerly it is said to have been numerous, but the natives were fond of its flesh, which formed their principal diet when other meat was difficult to obtain. Probably it would not so soon have become extinct if it had not been that their rather short wings resulted in a certain slowness of locomotion on land and in the air. A good description is given in the Catalogue of Birds, and a still more detailed one by Stejneger (Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1899, p. 86) from Brandt's manuscript.

Habitat: Bering Island.

Phalacrocorax novaezealandiae var. majorForbes, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 189 (1892—no proper description).

Dr. Forbesonly informed us that this shag was of greater dimensions thanPh. novaezealandiae(a very closely allied form ofPh. carbo). It would be interesting to know more about it, and, especially, if this extinct form was incapable of flight, likePh. harrisiof the Galápagos Islands.

Habitat: New Zealand.

Plotus nanusNewton and Gadow, Trans. Zool. Soc. XIII p. 288, pl. XXXIV figs 1-5. (1893).

Thehumerus, the pelvis with sacrum, and the tibia were the materials on which our authors founded this new species. They state that all the strongly developed characters in these bones leave no possible doubt as to its being a species ofPlotus, and its diminutive size at once distinguishes it from the three known species—P. anhinga,P. melanogaster, andP. novaehollandiae.

The measurements are asfollows:—

Distance from acetabular axis to anterior end of sacrum 30 mm.

Distance between ventral inner margins of the acetabula 14.5 mm.

Habitat: Mauritius. (Also recorded from Madagascar.)

Chenopis sumnerensisForbes, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 188 (1892) (Nomen nudum).

Thisappears to have been a very large species, with not very great powers of flight, if not flightless.

Habitat: New Zealand and Chatham Islands.

Bones from Chatham Islands in my collection.

Chenalopex sirabensisAndrews, Ibis 1897, p. 355, pl. IX, figs. 1-3.

Thisspecies of which skull, sternum, pelvis, the bones of fore and hind limbs, &c., are preserved, appears to be closely allied toChenalopex aegyptiacus, but has such a number of small differences that Mr. Andrews is, I think, quite justified in separating it; I do not, however, agree with him when he suggests that perhaps it is the same as Newton and Gadow'sSarcidiornis mauritianus, although many of the bones agree. Of course, his line of comparison was strengthened by the fact of subfossil bones ofPlotus nanusoccurring both in Mauritius and Madagascar; but it does not follow that because in one family of birds the same species occurred in two places the others must do likewise, and, therefore, one must not necessarily regard a certain similarity of osteological characters as proof of identity. I must here again refer my readers to Mr. Andrews' very full description.

Habitat: Sirabé in C. Madagascar.

The measurementsare:—

The smaller bones, undoubtedly, belonged to female, and the larger to male individuals.

AlliedtoChenalopexandChenopis, but differs fromChenalopexin the form and proportion of its metatarsus, and from all other Anserine forms by the extreme length and slenderness of the shaft of the tibio-tarsus and the relative shortness of the fibular crest. FromChenopisit differs in several respects, and the very long fibular crest of the latter at once separates them.

Centrornis majoriAndrews, Ibis 1897, p. 344, pl. VIII.

Thisspecies was discovered by Dr. Forsyth Major and Monsieur Robert in the bed of an old lake at Sirabé, Central Madagascar, in 1896-1897. It was similar in many respects toSarcidiornisandChenalopexbut differed in its large size and the great length of its legs. Indeed, judging from the slenderness of the metatarsus and femur and the slight degree of inflection of the lower end of the long tibia, it seems probable that this bird was ill adapted for swimming, though a good runner. The wings were long and powerful and armed with a long spur. I must refer my readers for a fuller description to Mr. Andrews, as quoted above.

The measurementsare:—

Habitat: Madagascar.

Skullshort and massive, with beak rounded and stout. Carina of sternum aborted. Limb-bones short and very stout, the ulna being shorter than the humerus, and having very prominent tubercles for the secondaries; cnemial crest of tibia greatly developed. No foramen between third and fourth trochleae of tarso-metatarsus. Spines of dorsal vertebrae tall. The power of flight was absent. The chief differences fromCereopsiswere the presence of extra pre-sacral vertebrae, so that two only instead of three ribs articulate with the sacrum; and an elevated pent-roof arrangement of theossa innominata, which indicate more decided cursorial habits.

Cnemiornis calcitransOwen, Trans. Zool. Soc. V, p. 396 (1865).

"Thetype species. Very considerably larger than the existingCereopsis novaehollandiae, with the limbs relatively much stouter and shorter" (Lydekker).

Habitat: Middle Island, New Zealand.

For full description see Trans. N. Z. Inst. VI, pp. 76-84, pls. X-XII (1874).

Cnemiornis gracilisForbes, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 187 (1892) (Nomen nudum).

"Amostelegantly moulded goose from the North Island." Unfortunately this is all that has been published about this form!

Habitat: North Island, New Zealand.

Cnemiornis minorForbes, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 187 (1892); vide also Trans. N.Z. Inst. VI, pp. 76-84 (Hector).

Thisspecies appears to be distinguished fromCnemiornis calcitransby its very small size, being hardly bigger thanCereopsis novaehollandiae.

Habitat: Middle Island, New Zealand.

Cereopsis novaezealandiaeForbes, Trans. N. Zealand Inst. XXIV, p. 188 (1892).

Thisspecies was founded on an incomplete skull, and differed fromC. novaehollandiaeby its slightly larger size.

Habitat: New Zealand.

Sarcidiornis mauritianusNewton & Gadow, Trans. Zool. Soc. XIII, p. 290, pl. XXXIV, figs. 9-10.

Theevidence on which this species is founded is a single left metacarpal and an incomplete left half of the pelvis. Its specific character is the very large size as compared to the two existing species.

Habitat: Mauritius.

In an old work entitled "Memorandums concerning India" by J. Marshall (1668) in the article on the Island of Mauritius, there occurs this passage: "They are many Geese; the halfe of their wings towards the end are black and the other halfe white; they are not large, but fat and good. Plenty of Ducks." As there is no mention of the caruncle on the bill here or in other authors alluding to geese in Mauritius, Oustalet doubted that these geese were thisSarcidiornis, but I believe this merely to have been an oversight of Marshall's and that his description goes far to prove the distinctness of Newton and Gadow's species.

The allusion to the small size also points to the geese of Marshall being theSarcidiornis. L'Abbé Dubois in "Les Voyages du Sieur D.B." records the fact that on Bourbon were some wild geese slightly smaller than the geese of Europe but having the same plumage. Their bill and feet were red. It is also probable that wild geese were found on Rodriguez. There is nothing to show what these Bourbon geese were, and as no osseous remains of such birds have been found as yet it is impossible to do more than mention the fact of such birds having been recorded.

Anas finschiVan Beneden, Journ. Zool. IV, p. 267 (1875); Ann. de la Soc. Geol. Belg. II, p. 123 (1876).

Thisduck is most peculiar, as it stands intermediate betweenQuerquedulaandDendrocygnain structure, and its nearest known ally seems to be the extinctA. blanchardiof Europe, and of living forms apparentlyClangula clangula.

Skull nearest to that ofClangula clangulabut wider, nostrils more elongated, eye-sockets smaller, and the whole skull more regularly rounded off.Sternumdiffers from that ofC. clangulaby having the notch lower, more faint behind and shorter in front. Clavicle and coracoid resemble those ofFuligula marila. Humerus larger and stronger than inF. marilaandC. clangula, as are the femur, tibio-tarsus and tarso-metatarsus, which are almost double as long and thick.

Judging from the shape of its leg-bones this bird must have been a strong runner, and probably at the same time was a poor flyer.

Habitat: Middle Island, New Zealand.

Anas theodoriNewton & Gadow, Trans. Zool. Soc. XIII, p. 291, pl. XXXIV, figs 11-17 (1893—Mauritius).

Messrs. Newton and Gadowfounded this species on a fragment of a sternum, a pair of coracoids, eight humeri, and a pair of tarso-metatarsi. These are referable to a duck of larger size thanNettion bernieri, and somewhat intermediate betweenN. punctataandAnas melleri.

The sternum differs from that ofA. melleriby the lesser height of the keel and by the shape and direction of the anterior margin of the latter. The coracoid is longer and larger than inN. bernieri, but is much shorter than inA. melleri, though agreeing with that of the latter in shape, and by the plain almost ridgeless ventral surface of the shaft. The seven humeri vary in length from 70-78 mm., and agree in size with those ofN. punctata, thus proving our species to be smaller thanA. melleri.

The two tarso-metatarsi are in poor condition; the right one measuring 42 mm. in length, thus indicating thatA. theodoriwas a bird with a shorter foot thanA. melleri.

Habitat: Mauritius.

Anas labradoriaGmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 2, p. 537 (1788—"Habitat gregaria in America, boreali." Ex Pennant and Latham.)Anas labradoraLatham, Ind. Orn. II, p. 859 (1790).Rhynchaspis labradoraStephens, in Shaw's Gen. Zool. XII, 2, p. 121 (1824).Fuligula labradoraBonaparte, Ann. Lyceum N.Y. II, p. 391 (1826).Somateria labradoraBoie, Isis 1828, p. 329.Kamptorhynchus labradorusEyton, Mon. Anat. p. 151 (1838).Fuligula griseaLeib, Journ. Acad. Sc. Philad. VIII, p. 170 (1840—young bird).Camptolaimus labradorusGray, List. Gen. B. ed. 2, p. 95 (1841); Dutcher, Auk. 1891, p. 201, pl. II; 1894, pp. 4-12; Hartl. Abh. naturw. Ver. Bremen XVI, p. 23 (1895).Camptolaemus labradoriusBaird, B.N. Amer. p. 803 (1858); Baird, Brewer and Ridgway, Water—B. N. Amer. II, p. 63 (1884); Milne-Edw. and Oustalet, Centen. Mus. d'Hist. Nat., Notice Ois. éteint. p. 51, pl. IV (1893); Salvadori, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XXVII, p. 416 (1895).

Anas labradoriaGmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 2, p. 537 (1788—"Habitat gregaria in America, boreali." Ex Pennant and Latham.)

Anas labradoraLatham, Ind. Orn. II, p. 859 (1790).

Rhynchaspis labradoraStephens, in Shaw's Gen. Zool. XII, 2, p. 121 (1824).

Fuligula labradoraBonaparte, Ann. Lyceum N.Y. II, p. 391 (1826).

Somateria labradoraBoie, Isis 1828, p. 329.

Kamptorhynchus labradorusEyton, Mon. Anat. p. 151 (1838).

Fuligula griseaLeib, Journ. Acad. Sc. Philad. VIII, p. 170 (1840—young bird).

Camptolaimus labradorusGray, List. Gen. B. ed. 2, p. 95 (1841); Dutcher, Auk. 1891, p. 201, pl. II; 1894, pp. 4-12; Hartl. Abh. naturw. Ver. Bremen XVI, p. 23 (1895).

Camptolaemus labradoriusBaird, B.N. Amer. p. 803 (1858); Baird, Brewer and Ridgway, Water—B. N. Amer. II, p. 63 (1884); Milne-Edw. and Oustalet, Centen. Mus. d'Hist. Nat., Notice Ois. éteint. p. 51, pl. IV (1893); Salvadori, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XXVII, p. 416 (1895).

Theadult male and a young male, both in my museum, are represented on plate36, but the young bird became too rufous, through the colour type reproduction, and should be somewhat more mouse-gray. Though first technically named by Gmelin in 1788, this duck was first described in 1785 by Pennant, in the Arctic Zoology II, p. 559, asfollows:—

"Pied Duck. With the lower part of the bill black, the upper yellow, on the summit of the head is an oblong black spot; forehead, cheeks, rest of the head and neck, white; the lower part encircled with black; scapulars and coverts of wings white; back, breast, belly, and primaries, black; tail cuneiform, and dusky; legs black. The bill of the supposed female? resembles that of the male, head and neck mottled with cinereous brown and dirty white; primaries dusky; speculum white; back, breast, and belly clouded with different shades of ash-colour; tail dusky and cuneiform; legs black. Size of a common Wild Duck.

"Sent from Connecticut, to Mrs. Blackburn. Possibly the great flocks of pretty Pied Ducks, which whistled as they flew, or as they fed, seen by Mr. Lawson in the western branch of Cape Fear inlet, were of this kind."

The Labrador-Duck is one of those birds, the disappearance of which is not easily explained. As Mr. Dutcher truly said, "we can speculate as to the cause of its disappearance, but we have no facts to warrant a conclusion." FormerlyCamptolaimuswas of regular occurrence along the northern Atlantic shores of North America, in winter south to New Jersey and New York. It has often been sold on the markets of New York and Baltimore, and nobody anticipated even fifty years ago that they might become extinct, but theyappear never to have been very numerous, at least we have no proof of this. It is true that Professor Newton tells us that this duck used to breed on rocky islets, and that "its fate is easily understood," since "man began yearly to visit its breeding haunts, and, not content in plundering its nests, mercilessly to shoot the birds." This, however, seems to be mere conjecture, as we do not know for certain where the breeding haunts of this Duck have been, and that anyone has ever visited them. All information known about the breeding of this bird is that of Audubon, who says that his son was shown empty nests on the top of bushes, which a clerk of the fishing establishment told him were those of the Labrador Duck. This information is certainly too uncertain to draw any conclusions from, but the breeding places might just as well have been much further to the north, and probably were.

The number of specimens extant is 48.

Amiens, Town Museum: 1 ♂ ad. (Auk. 1897, p. 87).Berlin Museum: 1, bought from Salmin (Hartl. p. 23).Paris: ♂ adult, presented 1810 by M. Hyde de Neuville.London, British Museum: 2, a ♂ ad. and a ♀ ad., neither of them with exact locality or date.Liverpool: 2 ♂ ad., 1 ♀, 1 ♂ jun.Cambridge: 1 ♂Dublin: 1 fine mounted ♂ (Dr. Scharff in litt.)Tring: 1 ♂ ad., 1 ♂ jun. (See below.)Brussels: 1 ♂ ad.St. Petersburg: 1 ♂ ad., purchased from Salmin.Heine Museum in Germany: 1 poor specimen.Munich: The Museum possesses a male from the collection of the Duke of Leuchtenberg.Dresden: 1 ♂ and two doubtful eggs—the latter doubtless wrong I should say.Vienna: 1 ♂ ad., exchanged from Baron von Lederer in 1830. Locality New York; 1 ♀ ad., bought from Brandt in Hamburg in 1846, for 4 Gulden!Leiden Museum: ♂ ♀, from the Prince of Wied.American Museum, New York: 7, three of which formerly belonged to George N. Lawrence.Long Island Historical Society, Brooklyn: 1 ♂ ad.Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, N. York: 1 ♂ ad.New York State Museum, Albany: ♂ ♀ ad.Cory collection: ♂ ♀ ad.University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont: 1 ♂ ad.Philadelphia: 2 ♂ jun., 1 ♀U.S. National Museum, Washington: 2 ♂, 1 ♀, 1 ♂ jun.Collection of Mr. William Brewster: 1 ♂ jun., 1 ♀Boston Society of Natural History: 1 ♂ jun.Collection of Dalhousie College, Halifax: ♂ ♀

Amiens, Town Museum: 1 ♂ ad. (Auk. 1897, p. 87).

Berlin Museum: 1, bought from Salmin (Hartl. p. 23).

Paris: ♂ adult, presented 1810 by M. Hyde de Neuville.

London, British Museum: 2, a ♂ ad. and a ♀ ad., neither of them with exact locality or date.

Liverpool: 2 ♂ ad., 1 ♀, 1 ♂ jun.

Cambridge: 1 ♂

Dublin: 1 fine mounted ♂ (Dr. Scharff in litt.)

Tring: 1 ♂ ad., 1 ♂ jun. (See below.)

Brussels: 1 ♂ ad.

St. Petersburg: 1 ♂ ad., purchased from Salmin.

Heine Museum in Germany: 1 poor specimen.

Munich: The Museum possesses a male from the collection of the Duke of Leuchtenberg.

Dresden: 1 ♂ and two doubtful eggs—the latter doubtless wrong I should say.

Vienna: 1 ♂ ad., exchanged from Baron von Lederer in 1830. Locality New York; 1 ♀ ad., bought from Brandt in Hamburg in 1846, for 4 Gulden!

Leiden Museum: ♂ ♀, from the Prince of Wied.

American Museum, New York: 7, three of which formerly belonged to George N. Lawrence.

Long Island Historical Society, Brooklyn: 1 ♂ ad.

Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, N. York: 1 ♂ ad.

New York State Museum, Albany: ♂ ♀ ad.

Cory collection: ♂ ♀ ad.

University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont: 1 ♂ ad.

Philadelphia: 2 ♂ jun., 1 ♀

U.S. National Museum, Washington: 2 ♂, 1 ♀, 1 ♂ jun.

Collection of Mr. William Brewster: 1 ♂ jun., 1 ♀

Boston Society of Natural History: 1 ♂ jun.

Collection of Dalhousie College, Halifax: ♂ ♀

This makes a total of 48 known specimens.

The last specimens killed were those shot in May, 1871, at Grand Manan Island, the date of which is absolutely certain, and the specimen bought from a Mr. J. G. Bell in 1879, for the Smithsonian Institution, which is said to have been shot in 1875, but this date seems not quite certain (Cf. Auk, 1894, p. 9). That several other specimens were shot later than 1852 is perfectly certain. As the specimen of 1875, or thereabouts, is a young male, Mr. Lawrence's question about the old birds is certainly justified. As, however, no Labrador Duck has been recorded later than 1871 or 1875 we may suppose that it is now extinct.

My young male was bought in the Fulton Market, New York, about 1860, and probably came from Long Island. It was mounted by John Bell, a bird-stuffer, through whose hands several Labrador Ducks have gone, and is in the finest possible condition. I bought this bird from the late Gordon Plummer, shortly before his death. He died at his home in Brookline, Mass., in November, 1893. (Cf. Auk, 1891, p. 206.)

My adult male is the one of which the history is given in Auk, 1894, p. 176. It is described there in detail and then added: "Shot in the bay of Laprairie this spring (1862) by a habitant, and purchased by Mr. Thompson of this city, who has kindly placed it at my disposal for examination." Mr. William Dutcher of New York City bought this specimen from the widow of the Mr. Thompson, mentioned in the above note as the original owner, and I purchased it from Mr. William Dutcher, who informs me that "the Bay of Laprairie" is simply a name given to a wide part of the River St. Lawrence, just south of Montreal, Quebec. The name is found on good maps of Quebec.

Biziura lautouriForbes, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 188 (1892—nomen nudum).

Dr. Forbes, unfortunately, gives no description whatever of this bird. It would be interesting to know something about it, and especially if its powers of flight were impaired, as it seems to have been the case in so many extinct birds.

Butors Leguat, Relation du Voyage (1708).Ardea megacephalaMilne-Edwards, Ann. Sci. Nat. (5) XIX, 1874, p. 10.

Butors Leguat, Relation du Voyage (1708).

Ardea megacephalaMilne-Edwards, Ann. Sci. Nat. (5) XIX, 1874, p. 10.

Leguat'sdescription, here translated, is asfollows:—"We had Bitterns as big and as fat as capons. They are tamer and more easily caught than the 'gelinotes.'" He also says, "The lizards often serve as prey for the birds, especially for the Bitterns. When we shook them down from the branches with a pole, these birds ran up and gobbled them down in front of us, in spite of all we could do to prevent them; and even if we only pretended to do so they came in the same manner and always followed us about."

Milne-Edwards remarks, among other notes, that "This bird is not a true Bittern, but its head is so large and its feet so short that it is easy to understand that Leguat should have called it so."

The bony structure of the head is remarkable on account of its massive and thick proportions; the skull itself is strongly enlarged posteriorly, and the temporal fossae are bordered by very pronounced ridges, especially those on the occipital region. The upper side of the skull is hardly convex, and the interorbital region is large, but only slightly depressed along its middle line. The bill is stout, almost straight, a good deal enlarged at its base and rounded beneath. The nostrils are large and preceded by a large groove, which extends very far towards the tip.

It is impossible to confound this skull with that of any Bittern, the latter having the beak relatively slender and only barely exceeding the skull in length. These also have the skull much constricted at the temporal region. The fossil skull from Rodriguez therefore presents characters essentially those of a Heron, but differs from all known species in its massive appearance. In the Grey, Purple and Goliath Herons, as well as in the Egrettes, the head is narrower, more elongated, the bill less conical and less strong. InArdea atricollis, now inhabiting Madagascar, the beak much resembles that of our extinct species, but it is longer and less enlarged at the base. The interorbital area is much wider, while on the other hand the hinder portion of the skull is narrower and more elongated, which gives to the skull a totally different aspect.

The feet relatively to the head are extremely short, and from this I conclude that we know no species of Heron which can be compared to that of Rodriguez. Nevertheless, the tarso-metatarsus presents all the charactersofArdea, and is far removed from that ofBotaurus. The tibia is big and short; it surpasses in length the tarso-metatarsus by about a third, as is usual in the Herons; but the femur on the contrary is strongly developed, being quite as large as in theArdea cinerea; which shows us that the body of this creature was of large size, and that the reduction in size of the feet had only taken place at their extremities.

The sternum is puny and small as compared with the creature's size. It is clearly that of a bird not furnished with powerful wings, and is even much less elongated than in the Bittern, but the coracoidal bones are very long and slender. The wings also were short and feeble, the humerus being hardly as big as inButorides atricapilla. It is conspicuously slenderer and shorter than in the Bittern. The main body of the bone is slightly curved on the outside, and the lower articular condyle is large and flattened. I have not been able to examine any bone of the "manus," but the metacarpal bone shows exactly the same proportions for the wing as does the humerus, as it also barely reaches the size of that ofButorides atricapilla. The measurements are asfollows:—

The anonymous author of the manuscript "Rélation de l'île Rodrigue" (see Ann. Sci. Nat. (6) II p. 133 et seq. 1875) about the year 1830 mentions this bird asfollows:—"There are not a few Bitterns which are birds which only fly a very little, and run uncommonly well when they are chased. They are of the size of an Egret and something like them."

Habitat: Rodriguez Island.

2 Humeri, 2 Femora, 2 Tibiae, and 2 Metatarsi in the Tring Museum.

Butors ou Grands GauziersDubois, Les Voyages faits par le Sieur D.B. (1674) p. 169.

L'Abbé Duboisis the only author who has, as far as I can ascertain, told us that the Island of Réunion also had a large almost flightless Heron as well as Mauritius and Rodriguez; and so feeling sure that it, like most other birds of this island, was distinct I name it after him.

The translation of his original description is asfollows:—"Bitterns or Great Egrets, large as capons, but very fat and good. They have grey plumage, each feather spotted with white, the neck and beak like a Heron, and the feet green, made like the feet of Poullets d'Inde (Porphyrio,W.R.). This bird lives on fish."

Habitat: Réunion or Bourbon.

Butorides mauritianusNewton & Gadow, Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. XIII, p. 289 (1893).

Thebones on which this species is founded are a pair of ulnae, one radius, four metatarsi, and one coracoid. The description is asfollows:—"The bones in question are all considerably shorter than the corresponding bones ofA. (Nycticorax) megacephala. The metatarsi agree otherwise in every detail with those of the latter species; this relative stoutness indicates that they belonged to a Night-Heron or Bittern likeA. megacephala. The two ulnae cannot, unfortunately, be compared with those ofA. megacephala; their length, 110 mm., compared with the length of the humerus ofA. megacephala, 119 mm., shows, however, likewise that they were those of a considerably smaller bird. The single left coracoid agrees in all the features of its dorsal or scapular half withA. megacephala, but its ventral or sternal half differs considerably, first by the much more strongly marked ridge of thelinea intermuscularison its ventral surface, secondly by the almost straight instead of inwardly curved margin between theprocessus lateralisand the lateral distal corner of the sternal articulation, thirdly by a very low but very distinct and sharp ridge, which arises from the median margin of the coracoid, a little above its median articulating corner. This roughness or prominent ridge is entirely absent inA. megacephalaand in all other Herons which we have been able to examine, but at least a slight indication of it occurs in an individually varying degree inNycticoraxandBotaurus. That this coracoid bone belonged, however, to an Ardeine bird is clearly indicated by its whole configuration, notably by the shape and position of the precoracoid process, the various articulating facets at the dorsal end, and the prominent lip on the visceral or internal surface of the median portion of the sternal articulating facet."

The following are themeasurements:—

Habitat: Mauritius.

Althoughmegacephalaandmauritianahave been placed inArdeaandButoridesrespectively, from the short, stout legs and general build, I am inclined to think that all three of these Herons belong to the genusNycticorax.

Thisgenus is, in the Catalogue of Birds, placed in a section with somewhat long tarsus, the latter being longer than the culmen, containing in addition toProsoboniathe generaTringites, andAechmorhynchus(see afterwards), and it differs from the latter by its long hind toe, from the former by its square tail. The position of this singular bird is, however, not quite certain. The late Henry Seebohm placed it in the genusPhegornis, though the latter has no hind toe whatever, and it has even—but doubtless wrongly—been suggested that it belonged to theRallidae, rather than to theCharadriidae. We know only one species. It is true that Dr. Sharpe bestowed a new name on the figure of Ellis, which is said to have been taken from an Eimeo-specimen, but it is hardly creditable that it belongs to a different species. Latham appears to have had three specimens, which were all three different from each other. Both Forster and Ellis, in their unpublished drawings in the British Museum, as well as Latham, evidently considered all three to belong to the same species, and it is not advisable now to over-rule their verdict, given with the specimens before them, merely on account of the different plumages, since we all know that most waders, and especially brightly-coloured ones, differ considerably in plumage, according to age and seasons. We are convinced that "P. ellisi" has been a younger bird. Sharpe attaches importance to the different habitat, but this is no argument in this instance, because Eimeo is, at the nearest point, not more than seven and a half miles from Tahiti,[2]and it is quite against all precedents amongCharadriidaeand beyond all plausibility that two such closely situated islands have closely allied forms of a Wader.

White-winged SandpiperLatham, Gen. Syn. III, pt. 1, p. 172, pl. LXXXII (1785—Otaheite and Eimeo).Tringa leucopteraGmelin, Syst. Nat. I, p. 678 (1788—ex Latham!); Westermann, Bijdr. Dierk. I, p. 51, pl. 15 (1854—Figure of the type).Totanus leucopterusVieillot, Nouv. Dict. d'Hist. Nat. (Ed. II) VI, p. 396 (1817).Calidris leucopterusCuvier, Règne Anim. I, p. 526 (1829).Tringa pyrrhetraeaLichtenstein, Forster's descr. anim. p. 174 (1844—Otaheiti).Prosobonia leucopteraBonaparte, Compt. Rend. XXXI, p. 562 (1850); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XXIV, p. 525 (1896).Tringoides leucopterusGray, Handl. B. III, p. 46 (1871).Phegornis leucopterusSeebohm, Geogr. Distrib. Charad. p. 452 pl. 18 (1888).Prosobonia ellisiSharpe, Bull. B.O.C. XVI, p. 86 (1906—"Eimeo").

White-winged SandpiperLatham, Gen. Syn. III, pt. 1, p. 172, pl. LXXXII (1785—Otaheite and Eimeo).

Tringa leucopteraGmelin, Syst. Nat. I, p. 678 (1788—ex Latham!); Westermann, Bijdr. Dierk. I, p. 51, pl. 15 (1854—Figure of the type).

Totanus leucopterusVieillot, Nouv. Dict. d'Hist. Nat. (Ed. II) VI, p. 396 (1817).

Calidris leucopterusCuvier, Règne Anim. I, p. 526 (1829).

Tringa pyrrhetraeaLichtenstein, Forster's descr. anim. p. 174 (1844—Otaheiti).

Prosobonia leucopteraBonaparte, Compt. Rend. XXXI, p. 562 (1850); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XXIV, p. 525 (1896).

Tringoides leucopterusGray, Handl. B. III, p. 46 (1871).

Phegornis leucopterusSeebohm, Geogr. Distrib. Charad. p. 452 pl. 18 (1888).

Prosobonia ellisiSharpe, Bull. B.O.C. XVI, p. 86 (1906—"Eimeo").

Dr. Sharpe'sdescription, made from the type in the Leyden Museum, is as follows: "Adult. General colour of upper surface blackish brown; the lower back and rump ferruginous; centre tail-feathers blackish, the rest rufous, banded with black, less distinctly on the two next the middle pair; wing-coverts blackish, with a white spot near the carpal bend of the wing, formed by some of the lesser coverts; crown of head blackish, the hind-neck browner, mixed with black; sides of face brown, the lores and ear-coverts slightly more reddish, behind the eye a little white spot; cheeks and under surface of body ferruginous red, the throat buffy white. Length 6.7 inches, culmen 0.9, wing 4.45, tail 2.15, tarsus 1.3 (Mus. Lugd.)"

We know nothing of this bird, but the one specimen in the Leyden Museum, which is the type, or at least one of the types. As no other specimens have been obtained for nearly a century and a quarter, there is every reason to fear that this bird is extinct. My plate has been made up by Mr. Lodge from the unpublished drawings of Ellis and Forster in the British Museum.

Habitat: Tahiti, and the adjacent islet of Eimeo.

Thisgenus appears to be closely allied toProsobonia, but has a much shorter hind toe. Its colouration is very different, and quite that of a Sandpiper, while the pattern ofProsoboniais most singular. Seebohm placedAechmorhynchus, together withProsobonia, in the genusPhegornis.

We know only one species.

Barred PhalaropeLatham, Gen. Syn. III. pt. 1, p. 274 (1785—Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean).Tringa cancellataGmelin, Syst. Nat. I, p. 675 (1788—ex Latham).Tringa parvirostrisPeale, U.S. Expl. Exp., Birds p. 235, pl. LXVI, 2 (1848—Paumotu) Cassin, U.S. Expl. Exp. p. 321, pl. 38, 2 (1858—Paumotu).Totanus(Tryngites?)cancellatusGray, Cat. B. Trop. Islands Pac. Ocean, p. 51 (1859).Phegornis cancellatusSeebohm, Geogr. Distrib. Charadr. p. 451, pl. 17 (1888).Aechmorhynchus cancellatusSharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XXIV, p. 525 (1896).

Barred PhalaropeLatham, Gen. Syn. III. pt. 1, p. 274 (1785—Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean).

Tringa cancellataGmelin, Syst. Nat. I, p. 675 (1788—ex Latham).

Tringa parvirostrisPeale, U.S. Expl. Exp., Birds p. 235, pl. LXVI, 2 (1848—Paumotu) Cassin, U.S. Expl. Exp. p. 321, pl. 38, 2 (1858—Paumotu).

Totanus(Tryngites?)cancellatusGray, Cat. B. Trop. Islands Pac. Ocean, p. 51 (1859).

Phegornis cancellatusSeebohm, Geogr. Distrib. Charadr. p. 451, pl. 17 (1888).

Aechmorhynchus cancellatusSharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XXIV, p. 525 (1896).

"Billshort, straight, and slender; wings long, first, second, and third quills very nearly equal; tertiaries but very little longer than the secondaries; tail rather long, wide, rounded; legs and toes long, the former robust; tibia feathered for more than half its length. A distinct stripe over and behind the eye ashy-white. Entire upper parts umber-brown, unspotted on the top of the head, but on the other upper parts edged and tipped with ashy-white and reddish fulvous. Tail-feathers umber-brown, with irregular and imperfect transverse narrow bands of ashy and pale reddish-white, and tipped with the same. Underparts white, with a tinge of ashy; throat and middle of the abdomen unspotted; breast, sides, and under coverts of the tail spotted, and with irregular transverse bars of brown, the latter most apparent on the sides, flanks, and under tail-coverts. Under wing-coverts ashy-white, irregularly spotted with brown. Bill greenish, darker at the tip; legs dark green. Sexes very nearly alike, female slightly paler. (Cassin.)"

I have here given the synonymy of this bird, as it has now been generally accepted by Seebohm, Sharpe, and others. An actual comparison of the types would, however, be very desirable, but, unfortunately, we do not know where the type of Latham is, and if it still exists. Christmas Island lies much to the north of the Paumotu group! As no specimens have been obtained since the U.S. Exploring Expedition, we may safely suppose that the species has ceased to exist for some reason.

Habitat: "Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean and Paumotu Islands."

Gallinago chathamicaForbes, Ibis 1893, p. 545.

Evidentlya species allied toG. pusilla, but very much larger. Bill three inches long.

Habitat: Chatham Islands.

Several skulls and a few bones in the Tring Museum. This is a snipe only a little larger than the existingGallinago aucklandica.

Pacific railLatham, Gen. Syn. III, pt. I, p. 255 (1785).Rallus pacificusGmelin, Syst. Nat. I, p. 717 (1788).

Pacific railLatham, Gen. Syn. III, pt. I, p. 255 (1785).

Rallus pacificusGmelin, Syst. Nat. I, p. 717 (1788).

Forster'sdescription is as follows, in translation: "Black with white spots or bars; abdomen, throat, and eyebrow white; hind neck ferruginous; breast grey; bill blood-red; iris red. Bill straight, compressed, narrowed at the top, thicker at the base, and blood-red. The mandibles subequal, pointed; the upper slightly curved, with the tip pale fuscous; gape medium. Nostrils almost at the base of bill, linear. Eyes placed above the gape of the mouth. Iris blood-red. Feet four-toed, split, built for running, flesh coloured. Femora semi-bare, slender, of medium length.

"Tibiae slightly compressed, shorter than the femora. Four toes, slender, of which three point forward (are front toes). The middle one almost as long as the Tibia, the side ones of equal length shorter, the back one short, raised from the ground. Nails short, small, slightly incurved, pointed, and light coloured. Head oval, slightly depressed, fuscous. A superciliary line from bill to occiput whitish. Throat white. Hindneck ferruginous. Neck very short. Back and rump black, sparsely dotted with minute white dots. Breast bluish grey. Abdomen, crissum, and loins white. Wings short, wholly black, variegated with broken white bands. Remiges short. Rectrices extremely short, black spotted with white, hardly to be distinguished from the coverts.

Mr. Keulemans' plate was done from Forster's unpublished drawing in the British Museum, and no specimen is in existence. The legs should, however, be less bright red, more flesh-colour.

Habitat: Tahiti, but evidently long extinct.

This bird, according to Forster, was called "Oomnaa" or "Eboonaa," on Otaheite, and the neighbouring islands.

DiffersfromCabalusby the relatively shorter bill; by having the whole culmen convex with the tip sharply decurved, by having a close instead of a loose plumage, and a much less reduced sternum, with a well-developed instead of almost obsolete keel. Type of genusNesolimnas dieffenbachi(Gray).

Rallus DieffenbachiiGray, Dieffenb., Trav. N.Z. II App. p. 197 (1843).Ocydromus dieffenbachiGray, Voy. Ereb. and Terr., Birds p. 14, pl. 15 (1846).Hypotaenidia dieffenbachiBonaparte, C. R. XLIII, p. 599 (1856).Cabalus dieffenbachiSharpe, Voy. Ereb. and Terr., Birds p. 29, pl. 15 (1875), id., Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XXIII p. 47 (1894).Nesolimnas dieffenbachiAndrews, Novit. Zool. III. p. 266, pl. X, figs 3-15 (1896).

Rallus DieffenbachiiGray, Dieffenb., Trav. N.Z. II App. p. 197 (1843).

Ocydromus dieffenbachiGray, Voy. Ereb. and Terr., Birds p. 14, pl. 15 (1846).

Hypotaenidia dieffenbachiBonaparte, C. R. XLIII, p. 599 (1856).

Cabalus dieffenbachiSharpe, Voy. Ereb. and Terr., Birds p. 29, pl. 15 (1875), id., Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XXIII p. 47 (1894).

Nesolimnas dieffenbachiAndrews, Novit. Zool. III. p. 266, pl. X, figs 3-15 (1896).

Adult: "General colour above, brown, banded on the mantle and scapulars, and spotted on the upper back with ochreous buff, these buff markings being margined with black, which takes the form of broad bars on the mantle; lower back and rump uniform brown; upper tail coverts brown, barred across with light rufous and black; lesser wing coverts like the back; median and greater coverts, as well as the primary coverts and quills, light chestnut, barred with black, the inner secondaries spotted and barred with ochre and black, like the back; tail feathers brown, mottled with chestnut near the base; crown of the head and nape uniform brown, followed by an indistinct patch of chestnut on the hindneck; lores dull rufous, surmounted by a broad line of bluish grey, extending from the base of the nostrils to the sides of the nape; rest of the sides of the face bluish grey, extending on to the lower throat; this grey area of the face separated from the grey eyebrow by a broad band of dark chestnut, which extends from the lores through the eye along the upper part of the ear-coverts; chin and upper throat white; lower throat black, barred across with white; fore neck and chest ochreous buff, banded rather narrowly with black, this pattern of colourationextending up the sides of the neck to the chestnut on the ear coverts; lower breast and abdomen black, banded with white, the light bars on the flanks and vent feathers being tinged with ochreous; under-tail coverts broadly banded with black and ochre; under-wing coverts and axillaries blackish, barred with white; under surface of quills chestnut, with broad black bars.

Wing 4.8 inches, culmen 1.35, tail 2.7" (Sharpe).

Habitat: Chatham Islands.

The type and only known specimen is that in the British Museum.

CabalusHutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst. Vol. VI p. 108, pl. XX (1874—Type and unique speciesCabalus modestus).

Captain Huttoncharacterized his new genus as follows: "Bill longer than the head, moderately slender and slightly curved, compressed in the middle and slightly expanding towards the tip; nostrils placed in a membranous groove which extends beyond the middle of the bill, openings exposed, oval, near the middle of the groove. Wings very short, rounded; quills soft, the outer webs as soft as the inner, fourth and fifth the longest, first nearly as long as the second; a short, compressed claw at the end of the thumb. Tail very short and soft, hidden by the coverts. Tarsi moderate, shorter than the middle toe, flattened in front, and covered with transverse scales; toes long and slender, inner nearly as long as the outer, hind toe short, very slender, and placed on the inner side of the tarsus; claws short, compressed, blunt.

"The bird is incapable of flight, and the stomach of the specimen, dissected by Dr. Knox, contained only the legs and elytra of beetles."

Captain Hutton also adds, l.c., a valuable description of the skeleton.

One species known.

Rallus modestusHutton, Ibis 1872, p. 247. (Mangare, Chatham Islands.)Cabalus modestusHutton, Trans. New Zeal. Inst. VI p. 108. (The genusCabalusestablished.)Rallus dieffenbachiijuv. Buller, B. New Zealand, Ed. I pp. 179, 180; Ed. II p. 121 (1888).Cabalus dieffenbachii(part., juv.!) Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XXIII p. 47 (1894); corr. p. 331.Cabalus modestusForbes, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club. No. IV. p. XX (Dec. 1892); Salvadori, op. cit. V p. XXIII (Jan., 1893); Forbes, Ibis 1893, pp. 532, 544, pl. XIV, fig. 4, egg; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XXIII p. 331 (1893); Buller, Suppl. B.N.Z. I p. 45, pl. III (1905).Ocydromus pygmaeusForbes, Nature XLVI, p. 252 (1892—nomen nudum! cf. Ibis 1893, p. 544).

Rallus modestusHutton, Ibis 1872, p. 247. (Mangare, Chatham Islands.)

Cabalus modestusHutton, Trans. New Zeal. Inst. VI p. 108. (The genusCabalusestablished.)

Rallus dieffenbachiijuv. Buller, B. New Zealand, Ed. I pp. 179, 180; Ed. II p. 121 (1888).

Cabalus dieffenbachii(part., juv.!) Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XXIII p. 47 (1894); corr. p. 331.

Cabalus modestusForbes, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club. No. IV. p. XX (Dec. 1892); Salvadori, op. cit. V p. XXIII (Jan., 1893); Forbes, Ibis 1893, pp. 532, 544, pl. XIV, fig. 4, egg; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XXIII p. 331 (1893); Buller, Suppl. B.N.Z. I p. 45, pl. III (1905).

Ocydromus pygmaeusForbes, Nature XLVI, p. 252 (1892—nomen nudum! cf. Ibis 1893, p. 544).

Captain Hutton(Ibis 1872, p. 247) described this interesting species as follows: "Olivaceous brown, bases of the feathers plumbeous; feathers of the breast slightly tipped with pale fulvous, those of the abdomen and flanks with two narrow bars of the same colour;throat dark grey, each feather slightly tipped with brown. Quills soft brown, the first three faintly barred with reddish fulvous, fourth and fifth the longest. Tail very soft and short, brown. Irides light brown, bill and legs light brown. Length 8.75 inches, wing 3.15, bill from gape 1.4, tarsus 1, middle toe and claw 1.4.

Young.Uniform brownish black.

A single specimen and young from Mangare; also a specimen in spirits."

The author knew perfectly well what he was doing when he described this excellent species. Sir Walter Buller afterwards (B. New Zealand, Ed. I, pp. 179, 180) declared "after carefully comparing it with the type ofRallus dieffenbachii, and submitting the matter to the judgment of other competent ornithologists, I have no hesitation in considering it the same species, in an immature state of plumage." (Sic!) Unfortunately, Dr. Sharpe, in the Catalogue of Birds XXIII, repeated Buller's error, and, on Plate VI, figuredCabalus modestusunder the name ofCabalus dieffenbachii, though the latter is not congeneric withC. modestus, and must be calledNesolimnas dieffenbachii, while the third form included inCabalusby Dr. Sharpe, viz.sylvestrisof Lord Howe's Island, must also be separated genetically fromCabalus.

FormerlyCabalus modestusinhabited Great Chatham Island, as Dr. Forbes proved by bones found by himself at Warekauri, but when the species was discovered it existed there no more, though being plentiful on the little outlying island of Mangare. Unfortunately even there it is evidently extinct now, this island being overrun with cats and rats, besides which, according to Buller, the original vegetation has been ruthlessly burnt down for the purpose of sowing grass-seed, as even this bleak little island has been claimed by an enterprising sheep-farmer. Fortunately a good many specimens have been secured by the late W. Hawkins. I have fifteen in my museum, and there are specimens in the British Museum, in Liverpool, and one in Cambridge. Henry Palmer failed to get specimens when he visited Mangare.

I have also the egg described and figured in the Ibis by Dr. Forbes. It measures 40 by 21.4 mm., and is creamy white, with faint pale reddish and purplish roundish spots.

Habitat: Chatham Islands, east of New Zealand.

Ocydromus sp.Hamilton, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXV, p. 103 (1893).Ocydromus minorHamilton (nec. Forbes) l.c.

Ocydromus sp.Hamilton, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXV, p. 103 (1893).

Ocydromus minorHamilton (nec. Forbes) l.c.

Thisspecies is nearest allied tosylvestrisScl., which has quite erroneously been placed in the genusCabalusby Dr. Sharpe;sylvestriswill have to form the type of a new genus, but until the skull ofminoris known I prefer to leave the latter temporarily inOcydromus.

The present species is known from two pelves, seven femora, six tibiae, and five metatarsi, as well as the front portion of a sternum. The measurements all show thatminorwas a slightly larger form thansylvestris, but owing to having a much shorter tibio-tarsus it must have been a much stumpier bird.

Habitat: Middle Island, New Zealand. Extinct.

Ocydromus insignisForbes, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 188 (1892—insufficient description).

Thisbird "far exceeded in size any of the existing species ofOcydromus." That is all that is published about this bird.

Habitat: Middle Island, New Zealand.

Billproduced, not cut short, rather curved. The nostrils are exposed and situated at the base of the bill. Halluces of the naked fowl-like legs of moderate length. Front of legs apparently scutellated. Wings abortive, no rectrices apparent.

A HenSir Thomas Herbert, A relation of some years' Travaile (1626).Velt-hoendersReyer Cornelisz, Van der Hagen's voyage (1646).Poules rouges au bec de BecasseCauche, Rélations véritables et curieuses de l'Isle de Madagascar (1651).Apterornis bonasiaEdm. de Sélys-Longchamps, Revue Zoologique, p. 292 (1848).Didus herbertiSchlegel, Vers. Med. Ak. Wetensch., II, p. 256 (1854).Didus broeckiSchlegel, l.c.Aphanapteryx imperialisFrauenfeld, Neu aufgef. Abbild. Dronte, p. 6 (1868).Aphanapteryx broeckiiMilne-Edwards, Ann. Sci. Nat. (5), X, pp. 325-346, pls. 15-18 (1868).Pezophaps broeckiiSchlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Struthiones, p. 4 (1873).

A HenSir Thomas Herbert, A relation of some years' Travaile (1626).

Velt-hoendersReyer Cornelisz, Van der Hagen's voyage (1646).

Poules rouges au bec de BecasseCauche, Rélations véritables et curieuses de l'Isle de Madagascar (1651).

Apterornis bonasiaEdm. de Sélys-Longchamps, Revue Zoologique, p. 292 (1848).

Didus herbertiSchlegel, Vers. Med. Ak. Wetensch., II, p. 256 (1854).

Didus broeckiSchlegel, l.c.

Aphanapteryx imperialisFrauenfeld, Neu aufgef. Abbild. Dronte, p. 6 (1868).

Aphanapteryx broeckiiMilne-Edwards, Ann. Sci. Nat. (5), X, pp. 325-346, pls. 15-18 (1868).

Pezophaps broeckiiSchlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Struthiones, p. 4 (1873).

Iheregive a translation of Frauenfeld's original diagnosis: "Of the size of a fowl, of a uniform brown red all over. Bill and legs dark. Iris yellowish. Feathers decomposed, as in theApteryx, somewhat lengthened on the nape."

This description was made by Frauenfeld from a drawing by G. Hoefnagels, in the Imperial Library, Vienna, executed about the year 1610, and, together with that of the Dodo, apparently drawn from life in the Imperial Menagerie at Ebersdorf. This drawing proves Van den Broecke, Herbert, and Cauche's descriptions to have been correct, though their drawings are somewhat startlingly different in shape. Only known from these four drawings and osseous remains. 18 fragments of beaks, 5 pelves, 35 tibiae, 1 sacrum and fragments, and 1 vertebra in the Tring Museum.

Habitat: Mauritius.

Thisgenus is closely allied toAphanapteryxandErythromachus, but, on the whole, is nearer toAphanapteryx. It differs from both these genera andOcydromusin the large protuberances on the basi-temporal region of the skull, and the tarso-metatarsus was much shorter than inAphanapteryx. For complete diagnosis of this genus see Andrews in Novitates Zoologicae, Vol. III, pp. 73-76 (1896).

Aphanapteryx hawkinsiForbes, Nature XLVI, p. 252.Diaphorapteryx hawkinsiForbes, Bull. B.O.C.I. p. XXI, 1893.

Aphanapteryx hawkinsiForbes, Nature XLVI, p. 252.

Diaphorapteryx hawkinsiForbes, Bull. B.O.C.I. p. XXI, 1893.

Theremains of this bird were first sent to Dr. H. O. Forbes in 1892 by the late W. Hawkins, from the Chatham Islands, 500 miles E.S.E. of New Zealand. It appears to have been confined to the Island of Wharekauri. Dr. Forbes subsequently went to the Chathams himself and collected a large number of bones of various extinct birds, including those ofDiaphorapteryx. In 1895 I received a consignment of bones through the agency of Mr. Dannefaerd, from the Chathams, such as has never been equalled from any deposit elsewhere, for literally there were many hundreds of thousands of bones of a considerable number of species of birds. From this collection Mr. C. W. Andrews was able to draw up a most minute description of the skeleton ofDiaphorapteryx, founded on several practically complete skeletons, some thirty or more skulls, and several thousand individual bones of various portions of the skeleton. This description, published in Novitates Zoologicae, Vol. III, pp. 73-84, is too long for reproduction here, and so I must refer my readers to it.

This bird, as well as thePalaeolimnas, shows an apparent relationship between the Chatham Islands and the Mascarene Islands; but I believe thatthis is not a real relationship, as has been asserted, due to a former land-connection, but merely a case of parallel development owing to similar conditions of existence.

Habitat: Wharekauri Island, Chatham Islands.

In the Tring Museum are two complete skeletons, more than a thousand bones, and about fifteen skulls.

One almost complete skeleton, and the type, skull, and bones, are in the British Museum.

"Legsstout, made for running, and from a quarter to one-fifth shorter than inOcydromus, the three anterior digits well developed and the hallux very small. Body less massive than inOcydromus, with the wings slightly more developed, but not serviceable for flight. Head small; bill red, straight, pointed, and about 60 mm. = 2.4 inches. A red naked patch round the eye; plumage pale grey."

GelinoteLeguat, t. II p. 71 (1708).Erythromachus leguatiMilne-Edwards, Ann. Sci. Nat. (5) XIX, pp. 6, 7, pls. XI, XII (1874).Aphanopteryx leguatiGünther & E. Newton, Phil. Trans. Vol. 168, pp. 431-432, pl. XLIII (1879).

GelinoteLeguat, t. II p. 71 (1708).

Erythromachus leguatiMilne-Edwards, Ann. Sci. Nat. (5) XIX, pp. 6, 7, pls. XI, XII (1874).

Aphanopteryx leguatiGünther & E. Newton, Phil. Trans. Vol. 168, pp. 431-432, pl. XLIII (1879).

Ofthe older writers only Leguat appears to have described the Rodriguez flightless rail. There are several references to "Hens," "Veld Hoenders," &c., but all appear to refer to the Mauritius birdAphanapteryx bonasia. Leguat's description is asfollows:—

"Our 'gelinotes' are fat all the year round and of a most delicate taste. Their colour is always of a bright grey, and there is very little difference in plumage between the two sexes. They hide their nests so well that we could not find them out, and consequently did not taste their eggs. They have a red naked area round their eyes, their beaks are straight and pointed, near two and two-fifths inches long, and red also. They cannot fly, their fat makes them too heavy for it. If you offer them anything red, they are so angry they will fly at you to catch it out of your hand, and in the heat of the combat we had an opportunity to take them with ease."

Quite extinct. Only known from descriptions and osseous remains. One tibia in the Tring Museum.

Habitat: Rodriguez Island.

PennulaDole, Hawaiian Alman. 1879 p. 54 (Reprint in Ibis 1880 p. 241).

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