OCR Text |
Show 42 ON T H E ORIGINAL FAUNA OF RODRIGUEZ. [Jan. 19, mined by M. Milne-Edwards from bones sent him by my brother*, and doubtless quite extinct; the second is unquestionably Palceornis exsul, described by myselff, which has lingered into our own times; and the third is the species of Agapornis known still to exist in Rodriguez, and thought by my brother to be A. canal; but since neither he (so far as 1 am at this moment aware) nor I have ever examined a specimen, the matter must remain an open question at present. It is interesting, however, to have the particulars above given as to the colouring of N. rodericanus and P. exsul. Continuing my extracts, the next is " Les T O U R T E R E L L E S y sont en grand nombre, mais sur la grande terre on en voit fort peu, parcequ'elles vont vivre sur les lies du Sud, aussi bien. que les perroquets, et viennent boire de meme sur la grande terre." This adds nothing of importance to our knowledge of the Colum-bidce oi Rodriguez. W e then have a notice of a bird also mentioned by Leguat:- " On voit un oiseau qui est a peu pres comme la chouette, et qui mange les petits oiseau et les petits lezards. Ils demeurent presque toujours dans les arbres et lorsqu'ils sentent le beau temps, ils chantent la nuit et toujours le meme chant; au contraire, lorsqu'ils sentent du mauvais temps on ne les entend point." This is evidently the Athene murivora of M. Milne-Edwards §. The concluding notices of birds are : - " II y a beaucoup de C H A R D O N N E R E T S qui ont un joli ramage. " On voit quelques LAVANDIERES, avec quelques autres petits oiseaux qui ont un fort joli ramage, mais ils sont toujours en garde des oiseaux de proie, qui sont les chouettes, dont j'ai parle ci-devant." The " Chardonnerets" may well be referred to Foudia rodericana, discovered by my brother|| ; and among the other little birds was probably included Drymoeca (?) flavicans *\; but no trace of the •*** Lavandieres " remains, so far as I know. I have only to add that so soon as I obtained the copy of this document I acquainted M. Alphonse Milne-Edwards with the fact, requesting him to examine the original and let me know his opinion of it. This he, with his usual kindness, has done; and within the last few days he has written me word that the Report is evidently the work of an unlettered sailor (as, indeed, I myself had already concluded), but that he has failed to discover the name of its author. Though now bound up with other documents of the year 1760, he considers that it must have been written some years earlier, and most likely in 1729 or 1730. I need not here dwell upon the reasons which have led him to form this opinion, because he intends * Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Zoologie, ser. 5, viii. pp. 145-156, pis. 7, xix. Art. 3, p. 18, pl. 13. figs. 2-2 e; Comptes Eendus, Ixv. pp 1121-1125 t Ibis, 1872, p. 33. J Ibis, 1865, p. 149. § Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Zoologie, ser. 5, xix Art 3 p 13 pl 11 figs. 2-2 e. '* 'F' j| P. Z. S. 1805, p. 47, pl. i. figs. 1, 2. *J Tom. cit. p. 47, pl. i. fig. 3. |