Extinct birds : $b An attempt to unite in one volume a short account of those birds which have become extinct in historical timesRothschild, Lionel Walter Rothschild, Baron
Science
Extinct birds : $b An attempt to unite in one volume a short account of those birds which have become extinct in historical times
Rothschild, Lionel Walter Rothschild, Baron
Birds; Extinct birds
The corresponding description of _Phaeornis obscura_ in Bloxam's M.S. notes
is:--"Length 8 inches; belly light ash; back, tail and wings an ash-brown;
bill slender, ¾-in. long, bristled at the base. A beautiful songster."
It is thus evident that Bloxam considered both forms to be distinct, and
Messrs. Wilson and Evans were perfectly justified in naming the extinct
Oahu form.
We are not aware of any specimens being preserved in any Museum, though
Bloxam obtained a skin. Messrs. Wilson and Evans (l.c.) write:--"All the
specimens obtained by Mr. Andrew Bloxam, properly prepared and labelled,
were placed at the disposal of the Lords of the Admiralty, as shewn by a
copy of the letter he wrote to their Secretary, and probably all were sent,
as some certainly were, to the British Museum; but no other trace of this
unique specimen of a vanished species, which may be properly called
_Phaeornis oahensis_, is now forthcoming."
{21}
BOWDLERIA RUFESCENS (BULLER).
(PLATE 5, FIG. 3.)
_Sphenoeacus rufescens_ Buller, Ibis 1869, p. 38.
_Megalurus rufescens_ Gray Hand-l. B. I, p. 206. No. 2913. (1869.)
Buller's original description is as follows: "Upper parts, sides, and tail
dark rufous brown, brightest on the crown and hind-neck; the feathers of
the shoulders and sides centred with black. Quills dusky black, margined
with rufous brown. Streak over the eye, throat, breast and abdomen pale
fawn colour; sides of the head and ear-coverts marked with black. Bill
light brown with the ridge black, feet dark brown." Buller's type probably
had been preserved in spirit, as the colouration of fresh specimens is very
different to his description. The general colour above and on the flanks
chestnut rufous, most feathers with darker or black centres; chin, throat,
breast and abdomen pure white; crissum and under tail-coverts whity buff or
buffy brown. Wing 2.6 inches, tail 3.9 inches, culmen 0.65 inch.
Habitat: Chatham Islands.
Cats, rats and weasels have exterminated this fine species, which is now
quite extinct. Messrs. Travers and Dannefaerd have supplied the specimens
in most colonial museums, while Henry Palmer collected the 14 at Tring. A
few in Liverpool and two in the British Museum are all known to me in
Europe, in addition to those at Tring.
{23}
TRAVERSIA ROTHSCH.
See description below. Only one species known.
TRAVERSIA LYALLI ROTHSCH.
(PLATE 5, FIG. 3.)
_Traversia lyalli_ Rothschild, Bull. B.O.C. IV p. X (December 29th,
1894); Nov. Zool. 1895, p. 81.
_Xenicus insularis_ Buller, Ibis 1895, p. 236, pl.
_Traversia insularis_ Buller, Suppl. B.N.Z. II p. 109, pl. X (1906).
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