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
Talking of Wild Pigeons, "Le Sieur D.B." tells us that there were on the
island of Bourbon "others of a russet red colour, a little larger than
European pigeons, with the beak larger, red at base near the head, the eyes
surrounded by a fiery colour, as in the pheasants. At a certain season they
are so fat 'qu'on ne leur voit point de croupion;' they taste very good."
This passage cannot be meant for a turtle-dove, but the description of the
bill and surrounding of the eyes shows that it refers to a form allied to
_Nesoenas mayeri_. The latter, however, is not entirely russet red, but the
head, neck, underside and back are creamy white, washed with a greyish-rose
colour. Therefore the bird mentioned by Le Sieur D.B. was evidently a
representative of N. _mayeri_ or Bourbon. I name it in memory of Monsieur
Dubois, who was the author of the Voyages of the "Sieur D.B."
Habitat: Bourbon or Réunion.
{167}
ECTOPISTES SWAINS.
_Ectopistes_ Swainson, Zoological Journal III p. 362 (1827--Partim!
_Columba speciosa_ and _C. migratoria_ mentioned as types, but ten
years later the genus _Ectopistes_ was restricted to _C. migratoria_ by
the same author).
Tail very long and excessively cuneate, the central rectrices sharply
pointed. First primary of the wing longest. Tarsus very short, in front
half covered with feathers. Now, only the Passenger Pigeon is included in
this genus, while formerly the _Zenaidura carolinensis_ auct. used to be
associated with it.
ECTOPISTES MACROURA (L.)
PASSENGER PIGEON.
_Columba macroura_ Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. Ed. X p. 164 (1758--Ex Catesby,
Carolina I p. 23, pl. 23 [1754]. "Habitat in Canada, hybernat in
Carolina." Regarding the necessity of accepting this name see Bangs,
Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington XIX p. 42, and Auk 1906, pp. 474, 475. The
conclusions of Messrs. Bangs and Allen are perfectly correct).
_Columba canadensis_ Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. Ed. XII, p. 284 (1766--Ex
Brisson, Orn. I p. 118. Habitat in Canada. Cf. note of Salvadori, Cat.
B. Brit. Mus. XXI, p. 369).
_Columba migratoria_ Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. Ed. XII p. 285 (Ex Frisch,
pl. 142, Kalm., Brisson I, p. 100, Catesby. "Habitat in America
Septentrionali copiosissima ..."); Wilson, Amer. Orn. I p. 102, pl.
XLIX (1808); Temminck & Knip, Pigeons I, seconde fam., pls. 48, 49
(1808-11); Audubon, Orn. Biogr. I, p. 319 (1831); Baird, Brewer &
Ridgway, Hist. N.A.B., Land-Birds III, p. 368, pl. 57, 4 (1874).
_Pigeon de Passage_ Buffon, Hist. Nat. Ois. II, p. 527 (1771).
_Tourterelle du Canada_ Daubenton, Pl. Enl. 176.
_Columba Histrio_ P.L.S. Müller, Natursyst. Suppl. p. 134 (1776--ex
Buffon).
_Columba ventralis_ id., l.c. p. 134 (1776--ex Buffon).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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