Extinct Birds Part 22

Evidently extinct. {70}

CYANORHAMPHUS ULIETa.n.u.s (GM.)

_Society Parrot_ Latham, Syn. I p. 250 (1781).

_Psittacus ulieta.n.u.s_ Gmelin, S.N. I p. 328, n. 85 (1788).

_Platycercus ulieta.n.u.s_ Vig., Zool. I p. 533, Suppl. pl. 3 (1825).

_Cyanorhamphus ulieta.n.u.s_ Bonaparte, Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p.

153, n. 188.

_Platycercus tannaensis_ Finsch, Papag. II, p. 272 (1868).

_Psittacus fuscatus_ Pelz., Ibis 1873, p. 30.

_Adult_: "Olive brown, the head brown-black; rump and basal upper tail-coverts brown-red, the longest upper tail-coverts olive brown like the back; underparts olive-yellow; quills, primary-coverts, under wing coverts and tail-feathers grey; bill black, base of upper mandible grey; feet brown." (Salvadori, Cat. B. XX p. 579). Wing 5.3 inches, bill 0.8 inches, tarsus 0.8 inches, tail 5 inches.

Habitat: Ulietea, Society Islands (fide Latham).

The type from the Leverian Museum is in Vienna, and a specimen from Bullock's collection is in the British Museum. These are the only two specimens known, and as it is now more than a hundred years since anyone has procured a specimen, we may suppose that this is an extinct species.

The specimen in Vienna, which I have recently been able to examine, has the head, back, wings, and tail deep umber-brown, the rump dark-crimson, upper tail-coverts olive, underside brownish yellow.

CYANORHAMPHUS SUBFLAVESCENS SALVADORI.

_Parrot from Lord Howe Island_ Phillips, Bot. Bay, p. 225 (1789).

_Cyanorhamphus subflavescens_ Salvadori, Ann. & Mag. (6) VII, p. 68 (1891).

Very similar to _C. cooki_ and _C. saisseti_ and intermediate in size.

Above more yellowish than _C. saisseti_, below more greenish, tail shorter than in either of the latter.

This species is believed to be extinct. Last year I received some specimens of a _Cyanorhamphus_ from an inhabitant of Lord Howe's Island, but from subsequent letters these appear to have been collected on Norfolk or Philip Island, and they certainly are _C. cooki_.

Habitat: Lord Howe's Island.

A pair in the British Museum appear to be the only known specimens.

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BUBO(?) LEGUATI NOM. NOV.

_Strix sp._ Milne-Edwards, Ann. Sci. Nat. (5) XIX p. 13 (art. 3.) 1874.

Milne-Edwards had only a single tibio-tarsus of this form and described this bone, but refrained from giving it a specific name, though he stated it was probably a small _Bubo_, in the hopes of getting more material.

As, however, we have no further specimens, I think I am justified in naming it after Leguat, who first mentions Owls on Rodriguez. Milne-Edwards'

description of this tibio-tarsus is that it equals in length that bone in _Asio accipitrinus_, but was distinguished from the latter by the strong inward curvature and the great development in width of its distal extremity.

_Tibio-tarsus._

Total length 77 mm.

Length from the proximal extremity to the top of the peronial ridge 25 "

Width at distal extremity 10.5 "

Width at proximal extremity 9 "

Width of shaft 3.7 "

Habitat: Rodriguez.

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SCOPS COMMERSONI OUST.

_Scops commersoni_ Oustalet, Ann. Sci. Nat. (8) III, p. 35 fig. 3 (1896).

This owl, I believe, is not a true _Scops_, being much too big, but we must leave it in that genus for the present, as there are no specimens or bones extant, and only Jossigny's drawing to guide us as to its appearance. The first mention of owls on Mauritius was in the year 1606, when Admiral Matlief says that owls were common in the Island. Monsieur Desjardins, in 1837, gave the first accurate description of the bird, of which I here reproduce the translation. "The digits and even the tarsi are not feathered, only on the front portion of these latter one sees some short, stiff feathers running down to a point nearly to the centre. The digits are very strong, they being armed with hooked nails.

The beak is very stout, arched from its base; the upper mandible, which is much longer than the other and covering it, is as if cut square at the point. The nostrils pierce the bill pretty high up in the h.o.r.n.y portion.

The eyes, of which I could not see the colour, are round, and placed, like in the entire family, in front. They are surrounded by a circle or disc of stiff, thread-like feathers, which is interrupted at the sides. A sort of collar is perceptible on the throat. Two tufts, similar to those of the Eagle Owls and Eared Owls, and very apparent, are behind the eyes and towards the top of the occiput.

The wings are a little longer than the tail, the fourth and fifth primaries being the longest, the third and sixth are shorter, and the second still shorter, being equal to the eighth, and the first is shortest of all. The tail reaches to the end of the digits; it is rounded and not much lengthened: all the retrices are equal in length. The ear-tufts are brown, with some slight buff shading, the discal plumes being white marked with buff. All the upper side is of a dark brown colour, the feathers of the head, the neck and the back are edged with rufous, but not very distinctly so; this rufous colour is more apparent on the scapulars, and some of these even have on the outer web one or two whitish patches surrounded with brown.

The large tail feathers are less brown and more rufous in colour, with lighter rufous marbling mixed with brown.

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, 13-1/2 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.

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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.