^'°ioo6^''] Forgotten Feathers. 163 



Forgotten Feathers. 



Birds and their Names and Dwelling-places in the 

 " NovEAU Voyage a la Mer du Sud." — The middle of the 

 eighteenth century is approximately the period in which the 

 collection and scientific classification of plants and animals 

 became one of the chief aims of exploratory voyages. It was 

 intended that it should be one of the aims of the expedition 

 under the command of Marion du Fresne, and Commerson, a 

 botanist, who had participated in the expedition under the 

 leadership of De Bougainville, was expected to accompany that 

 of du Fresne also. But he was unable to do so, and no botanist 

 or zoologist made the voyage. Crozet, however, who was second 

 in command of the Mascarin, has left to posterity not a few 

 observations relating to the animals and plants which he saw 

 during the voyage or in the countries which he visited. 

 Although they were made by one who expressly disclaims a 

 scientific knowledge of natural history, they are interesting, and 

 not unimportant because of their early date. The expedition, of 

 which Marion du Fresne was the leader until the time of his 

 death in New Zealand, was undertaken primarily in order to 

 restore to the place of his birth a Tahitian who had accom- 

 panied De Bougainville to France, but also, in a secondary 

 degree, in order to ascertain if a continent or islands existed in 

 the southern seas where useful products might be obtained and 

 shipped to Mauritius and the other French colonies in the Indian 

 Ocean. The Tahitian fell sick shortly after the commencement 

 of the voyage, and was put ashore in Madagascar, where he died. 

 Subsequently, near the island which is now known as Prince 

 Edward Island, a collision caused the partial disablement of the 

 Marquis de Castries, the search for a continent was abandoned, 

 and it was resolved to visit the countries which had been dis- 

 covered by Tasman in the century which preceded that of the 

 expedition. 



The first entry relating to birds is on the 8th of January, 

 1772 — about twelve days subsequently to the departure of the 

 vessels from the Cape of Good Hope. Terns were then observed, 

 and thereafter until the 13th of the same month Terns and Gulls 

 were seen frequently. The name by which the gulls are called 

 is " Poules Mauves " — female Gulls. These may have been 

 immature birds of both sexes mistaken for adult females. At 

 the latter date the voyagers were in the vicinity of Prince 

 Edward Island and Marion Island, and thenceforward until 

 they left the Crozet Islands behind them they frequently saw 

 birds, which are called " Pingoins " (that is to say. Auks) and 

 " Plongeons." The former were doubtless Penguins. The 

 " Plongeon " is the Diver {Colyinbiis). Crozet, however, may 

 have regarded Grebes and Divers as members of one family and 



