Part 7
The tertials and secondaries have a darker brown bar towards the centre, and their outer web is pleasantly marked with somewhat square ocelli or irregular bands of white, pale buff, and brown. The large primaries or {74} flight feathers present the same ornamentation, but more strongly developed, and the blotches are buffy white on the inner web, which produces a regular spotting on a brown ground colour; the tip of these large feathers is finely stippled with brown on a fairly pale ground; and there is a large patch of white on the wings in addition.
The throat and abdomen are nicely adorned with dark buff feathers, which have a black brown centre and two to four large round white spots. The large feathers on the flanks are whitish, with a brown shaft line and marked with buff. All the well feathered parts, underneath the feathers are covered by a very thick black down."
The colour of bill and feet is reddish brown. Total length, 13½ inches = 345 mm. Desjardins says the specimen he described was killed at the end of October, 1836, in the forest crowning the hills close to "Bamboo Creek." In 1837 several were still seen near "La Savane," and one was killed at Curepipe by Dr. Dobson of the 99th Regiment. This latter is believed to have been one of, if not the last of this species, so we have to thank that excellent naturalist, Desjardins, and Monsieur Jossigny, the companion of Commerson, that we know what this extinct species was like.
Habitat: Mauritius.
{75}
ATHENE MURIVORA MILNE-EDWARDS.
_Strix (Athene) murivora_ Milne-Edwards, Ann. Sci. Nat. (5) XIX p. 13 (Art. 3.) (1874).
Professor Milne-Edwards described this bird from a tibio-tarsus and a tarso-metatarsus collected in Rodriguez by Sir Edward Newton, and says that he considers it to belong to the genus _Athene_, because the proportions of the tibio-tarsus and tarso-metatarsus agree with those of that genus. The most remarkable specific characters appear to be that the ridge to which the fibula is articulated is stout, and extends very far along the outer edge of the bone. The diaphysis is large and nearly straight; the distal extremity is furnished with two equal condyles separated by a deep channel.
_Tibio-tarsus._
Total length 71 mm. Length from proximal extremity to end of peronial ridge 25 " Width of distal extremity 10 " Width of proximal extremity 9 " Width of shaft 4 "
_Tarso-metatarsus._
Total length 46 mm. Width at proximal extremity 10 " Width at distal extremity 15 " Width of shaft 5 "
Habitat: Rodriguez.
{77}
SCELOGLAUX RUFIFACIES BULLER.
_Sceloglaux rufifacies_ Buller, Ibis 1904, p. 639; id. Suppl. B. New Zealand II, p. 65, pl. VII (1906).
Original description: "Adult female: Similar to _Sceloglaux albifacies_, but appreciably smaller; face dull rufous brown, instead of being white; crown and nape blackish brown; entire upper surface strongly suffused with rufous; quills marked with regular transverse bars and a terminal edging of rufous brown; tail-feathers uniform yellowish brown, obscurely barred with pale brown; bill lemon-yellow; feet dull yellow."
"Wairarapa district, near Wellington, North Island, in the summer 1868-9."
This supposed "species" is a very doubtful one. A close examination in the Tring Museum of the type (which was offered me for such a high price that I did not feel justified in buying it, fond as I am of possessing extinct forms, types and varieties) by Messrs. Hartert, Hellmayr and myself proved beyond doubt to all three of us that the specimen was not fully adult, but showed signs of immaturity. If I said to Sir Walter Buller that it was an extremely young, hardly fledged _Sceloglaux_ this was certainly incorrect, and was perhaps just an exclamation after a hasty preliminary examination, for the bird is of course fully fledged and has passed, at least partially, through one moult of the feathers. On the other hand, both Professor Newton's and Dr. Sharpe's reputed statements that the owl in question is fully adult are not correct. It certainly shows unmistakable signs of immaturity, as noticed at once by Dr. Gadow (cf. Newton's letter on p. 66, l.c.), by Hartert, Hellmayr and myself. Moreover Professor Newton--though Buller says he "pronounced it to be an adult bird"--also admits that the bird "had moulted, though not necessarily to be in adult plumage," and he continues that he thinks the character of the markings continues to be juvenile.
Having thus discussed the age of this owl, the question must be considered if it is different from _S. albifacies_ from the South Island. This is less easily done. Buller described it as a "new species," and mentions among the distinctive characters (see above) the colour of the tail. The tail, however, is "skillfully" (as Buller calls it, though I should use a less complimentary adverb) stuck in, and does not belong to a _Sceloglaux_, but to an Australian _Ninox_, and also some feathers on the neck are foreign. The wings being abraded, its slightly smaller length is not very significant. Certainly, however, the colouration in general is slightly more rufous than {78} in _S. albifacies_, though some of my specimens approach it almost completely, and the face is more rufescent. Professor Newton cautiously warned Sir Walter Buller, suggesting that _S. albifacies_ might possibly have a red "phase," like _Syrnium aluco_, and this North Island specimen represented the latter. As for myself, I do not think that _S. albifacies_ has two phases, as I have seen too many specimens, and found them to vary but little. I have now in my collection eight specimens from the South Island. On the other hand, I have not seen juvenile examples; but it is very likely that the rufous face of the North Island specimen is a character peculiar to the North Island form, which would then be a sub-species of _S. albifacies_ from the South Island, and should be called _S. albifacies rufifacies_. The type from Wairapara is said to have been killed in the summer of 1868-9, and, since no further evidence of its existence has come forth, I presume that the North Island race of this owl must be extinct by this time.
{79}
STRIX NEWTONI NOM. NOV.
_Strix sp._ Newton and Gadow, Trans. Zool. Soc. XIII, p. 287 (1893).
Messrs. Newton and Gadow give the measurements of, and describe a pair of metatarsi procured with the remains described as _Strix sauzieri_, and state that they do not fit in with that species. For, as they are fully adult bones, it is impossible to attribute their much smaller size to youth. They then add a sentence of which this is the first part: "Unless we assume, what is unlikely, that the Island of Mauritius possessed two different species of _Strix_, we have to conclude that the short pair of metatarsals belonged to a small individual of _Strix sauzieri_, ----." Evidently Messrs. Gadow and Newton, when they wrote this, did not remember the fact that throughout a very large portion of the range of _Strix flammea_, its various geographical races are found side by side with another species of the group of _Strix_, namely, _S. candida_ and _S. capensis_, popularly called "_Grass owls_"; these in nearly every case have the legs considerably longer than in the true _Barn Owls_ (_Strix flammea_ and its races).
Therefore I consider it not in the least unlikely that two species of _Strix_ inhabited Mauritius, and that _Strix sauzieri_ was the Mauritian representative of the "Grass Owls," while these two short metatarsals belonged to the representative of the "Barn Owls." I therefore have much pleasure in naming this form after the collector of these bones, the late Sir Edward Newton.
Length of tarso-metatarsi, 56 mm.
Habitat: Mauritius. {80}
STRIX SAUZIERI NEWT. & GAD.
_Strix sauzieri_ Newton & Gadow, Trans. Zool. Soc. XIII, p. 286, pl. XXXIII, figs. 11-18 (1893).
Messrs. Newton and Gadow describe this species from four metatarsi, three tibiae, and two humeri. They state that the relative length of the tibia to the metatarsus is very constant and characteristic of the various families and genera of owls. In the present instance this comparison indicates a species of _Strix_.
The longer and higher cnemial process of the tibia and the shortness of the humerus serve amply to justify the specific separation of this Mauritian owl.
The following are the measurements:--
Humerus, length 71 mm. Tibia-tarsus, length 90-93 " Tarso-metatarsus, length 63-66 "
Habitat: Mauritius.
{81}
"CIRCUS HAMILTONI" FORBES.
_Circus hamiltoni_ Forbes, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 186 (1892--no proper description).
A very large harrier, much larger than _Circus gouldi_, but not so big as _Harpagornis_.
Habitat: Middle Island, New Zealand.
"CIRCUS TEAUTEENSIS" FORBES.
_Circus teauteensis_ Forbes, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 186 (1892--no proper description).
Another very large harrier from Teaute, which has never yet been properly described.
Habitat: Middle Island, New Zealand.
{83}
ASTUR ALPHONSI NEWT. & GAD.
_Astur sp._ Milne-Edwards, Ann. Sci. Nat. (5) XIX, Art. II, pp. 25, 26, pl. 15 fig. 2. (1874).
_Astur alphonsi_ Newton and Gadow, Trans. Zool. Soc. XIII p. 285, pl. XXXIII, figs. 9, 10. (1893).
Messrs. Newton and Gadow bestowed the name _Astur alphonsi_ on a pair of tibiae, a pair of metatarsals, and the metacarpals of the left side of a goshawk apparently of the same size and relative proportions as _A. melanoleucus_ of South Africa. They justified their description of this goshawk as a distinct species, first of all by the fact that most of the Mascarene extinct species were distinct; and then because the bony ridge for the _M. flexor digitorum communis_ was more strongly developed, the fibula reached further down the tibia, the peroneal crest was straighter and longer, and the cnemial crest slanted more gradually into the anterior inner edge of the shaft of the tibia.
Milne-Edwards gives the measurements of the solitary tarso-metatarsus of this bird which he had for examination as follows:--
Total length 80 mm. Width at proximal extremity 11 " Width at distal extremity 13 " Width at smallest part of shaft 6 "
Messrs. Gadow and Newton give the length of their tarso-metatarsi as 81 mm., of their tibiae as 117 mm., and of the metacarpals as 55 mm.
Habitat: Mauritius.
Seven tarsi in the Tring Museum.
{85}
HARPAGORNIS HAAST.
Allied to _Aquila_, from which it is distinguished by the ulna being relatively shorter and the tarso-metatarsus stouter.
HARPAGORNIS MOOREI HAAST.
_Harpagornis moorei_ Haast, Trans. N.Z. Inst. IV, p. 192 (1872).
Description of femur (from Haast): The cylindrical shaft bent forward, and above the distal extremity it is slightly curved back. The hollow on the top of the head is very large and measures .42 inch across.
The trochanteric ridge is well developed and the outer side is very rough, showing that muscles of great strength and thickness must have been attached to it.
The inter-muscular linear ridges are well raised above the shaft, of which the one extending from the fore and outer angle of the epitrochanteric articular surface to the outer condyle is the most prominent. The pits for the attachment of the ligaments in the inter-condyloid fossa are strongly marked. The femur is pneumatic, the proximal orifice is large and ear-shaped, resembling in form most closely that of the Australian Sea Eagle.
Total length 6.66 inches. Circumference at proximal end 4.66 " Circumference at distal end 5.58 " Circumference at thinnest part of shaft 2.50 "
Ungual phalanx (probably of left hallux): Length 2.92 inches. Circumference at articular end 3.17 "
Ungual phalanx (probably of right second toe): Length 2.75 inches. Circumference 2.92 "
Type locality: Glenmark Swamp.
Habitat: New Zealand.
Type bones: 1 left femur, 2 ungual phalanges, and 1 rib.
For a more detailed description my readers must refer to the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute VI, pp. 64-75 (1874).
{87}
CARBO PERSPICILLATUS (PALL.)
(PLATE 39.)
_Phalacrocorax perspicillatus_ Pallas, Zoogr. Rosso.-Asiat. II, p. 305 (1827--Berings Island); Gould, Zool. Voy. Sulphur, p. 49, pl. XXXII (1844); Stejneger, Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus., No. 29, p. 180 (1885); id. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. XII, pp. 83-94, pls. II-IV (1889--Osteology); Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XXVI, p. 357 (1898).
_Graculus perspicillatus_ Elliot, New and heret. unfig. sp. N. Amer. B. II, part 14, No. 3, text and plate (1869).
_Pallasicarbo perspicillatus_ Coues, Osprey III, p. 144 (1899).
Pallas gives 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 of _C. 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. {88}
CARBO MAJOR (FORBES).
_Phalacrocorax novaezealandiae var. major_ Forbes, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 189 (1892--no proper description).
Dr. Forbes only informed us that this shag was of greater dimensions than _Ph. novaezealandiae_ (a very closely allied form of _Ph. carbo_). It would be interesting to know more about it, and, especially, if this extinct form was incapable of flight, like _Ph. harrisi_ of the Galápagos Islands.
Habitat: New Zealand.
{89}
PLOTUS NANUS NEWT. & GAD.
_Plotus nanus_ Newton and Gadow, Trans. Zool. Soc. XIII p. 288, pl. XXXIV figs 1-5. (1893).
The humerus, 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 of _Plotus_, and its diminutive size at once distinguishes it from the three known species--_P. anhinga_, _P. melanogaster_, and _P. novaehollandiae_.
The measurements are as follows:--
Left humerus, length 89 mm. Left tibia, length 61 "
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.)
{91}
"CHENOPIS SUMNERENSIS" FORBES.
_Chenopis sumnerensis_ Forbes, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 188 (1892) (Nomen nudum).
This appears 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.
{93}
CHENALOPEX SIRABENSIS ANDREWS.
_Chenalopex sirabensis_ Andrews, Ibis 1897, p. 355, pl. IX, figs. 1-3.
This species of which skull, sternum, pelvis, the bones of fore and hind limbs, &c., are preserved, appears to be closely allied to _Chenalopex 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's _Sarcidiornis mauritianus_, although many of the bones agree. Of course, his line of comparison was strengthened by the fact of subfossil bones of _Plotus nanus_ occurring 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 measurements are:--
Coracoid 67-75 mm. Humerus 132-147 " Radius 126-134 " Ulna 129-142 " Metacarpus 76-85 "
The smaller bones, undoubtedly, belonged to female, and the larger to male individuals.
{95}
CENTRORNIS ANDREWS.
Allied to _Chenalopex_ and _Chenopis_, but differs from _Chenalopex_ in 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. From _Chenopis_ it differs in several respects, and the very long fibular crest of the latter at once separates them.
CENTRORNIS MAJORI ANDREWS.
_Centrornis majori_ Andrews, Ibis 1897, p. 344, pl. VIII.
This species 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 to _Sarcidiornis_ and _Chenalopex_ but 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 measurements are:--
_Tibia._
Length (exclusive of cnemial crest) 213-215 mm. Width of upper articular surface 20-21 " Width of middle of shaft 11-11.5 " Thickness of shaft 8.5-9 " Width of distal extremity 20-21 "
_Femur._
Length 103-107 mm. Width of proximal extremity 25-26 " Width of distal extremity 26 " Width of shaft 11 "
{96} _Metatarsus._
Length 130 mm. approx. Width of shaft 8.5 " Width of middle trochlea 10 "
_Coracoid._
Length 31 mm. Width of glenoidal surface 13 "
_Scapula._
Width at proximal extremity 23 mm.
_Radius._
Length 24 mm.
_Ulna._
Width at middle of shaft 10 mm.
_Metacarpus._
Greatest width at proximal extremity 31 mm. Length of spur 26 " Width of second metacarpal 9 "
Habitat: Madagascar.
{97}
CNEMIORNIS OWEN.
Skull short 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 from _Cereopsis_ were 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 the _ossa innominata_, which indicate more decided cursorial habits.
CNEMIORNIS CALCITRANS OWEN.
_Cnemiornis calcitrans_ Owen, Trans. Zool. Soc. V, p. 396 (1865).
"The type species. Very considerably larger than the existing _Cereopsis novaehollandiae_, with the limbs relatively much stouter and shorter" (Lydekker).
Height of back from ground 26 inches. Length from beak to tail 34 "
Habitat: Middle Island, New Zealand.
For full description see Trans. N. Z. Inst. VI, pp. 76-84, pls. X-XII (1874). {98}
"CNEMIORNIS GRACILIS" FORBES.
_Cnemiornis gracilis_ Forbes, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 187 (1892) (_Nomen nudum_).
"A most elegantly moulded goose from the North Island." Unfortunately this is all that has been published about this form!
Habitat: North Island, New Zealand.
CNEMIORNIS MINOR FORBES.
_Cnemiornis minor_ Forbes, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 187 (1892); vide also Trans. N.Z. Inst. VI, pp. 76-84 (Hector).
This species appears to be distinguished from _Cnemiornis calcitrans_ by its very small size, being hardly bigger than _Cereopsis novaehollandiae_.
Habitat: Middle Island, New Zealand.
{99}
CEREOPSIS NOVAEZEALANDIAE FORBES.
_Cereopsis novaezealandiae_ Forbes, Trans. N. Zealand Inst. XXIV, p. 188 (1892).
This species was founded on an incomplete skull, and differed from _C. novaehollandiae_ by its slightly larger size.
Habitat: New Zealand.
{101}
SARCIDIORNIS MAURITIANUS NEWT. & GAD.
_Sarcidiornis mauritianus_ Newton & Gadow, Trans. Zool. Soc. XIII, p. 290, pl. XXXIV, figs. 9-10.
The evidence 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 this _Sarcidiornis_, 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.