Transcriber's note: A few typographical errors have been corrected: they are listed at the end of the text. * * * * * EXTINCT BIRDS. An attempt to unite in one volume a short account of those Birds which have become extinct in historical times--that is, within the last six or seven hundred years. To which are added a few which still exist, but are on the verge of extinction. BY The Hon. WALTER ROTHSCHILD, Ph. D., F.Z.S. With 45 Coloured Plates, embracing 63 subjects, and other illustrations. LONDON. Hutchinson & Co., Paternoster Row, E.C. 1907 LONDON: A. CHRIS. FOWLER, PRINTER, TENTER STREET, MOORFIELDS, E.C. * * * * * PREFACE. When I decided to read a paper before the Ornithological Congress of 1905 on Extinct and Vanishing Birds, I found it necessary to illustrate my paper by a number of drawings. These drawings roused special interest among those who listened to my lecture, and I was asked by many if I could not see my way to publish the lecture and drawings, in book form, as these plates were far too numerous for the proceedings of the Congress. After some hesitation I determined to do this, greatly owing to the persuasion of the late Dr. Paul Leverkühn. The preparation of a book required considerably more research than the lecture, and therefore my readers will find, in the following pages, a totally different account to that in the lecture, as well as corrections and numerous additions. The lecture itself has been published in the "Proceedings of the IVth International Ornithological Congress." I wish to thank very heartily all those of my ornithological friends, who have kindly helped me with the loan of specimens or otherwise, and especially Dr. H. O. Forbes, Dr. Scharff, Professor Dr. K. Lampert, Dr. O. Finsch, Professor Dr. A. Koenig, Dr. Kerbert, Mr. Fleming, Dr. von Lorenz, and others. WALTER ROTHSCHILD. * * * * * {vii} INTRODUCTION.