6 MOSTLY MAMMALS 



from which it takes its name, as well as in the neighbouring 

 Eimeo, The New Zealand quail {Coturnix novae-zealandiae) 

 is likewise entered in the British Museum as extinct. The 

 beautiful " Pigeon hollondais,^^ so called from its plumage 

 presenting the Dutch colours, and technically known as 

 Alectoroenas nitidissima, is a Mauritian species whose ex- 

 termination probably took place during the century. It 

 is known solely by three examples, one of which is pre- 

 served at Port Louis, the- second in Paris, and the third 

 in Edinburgh. 



Nor must we omit from our list two species of Kaka 

 parrot, one of which {Nestor productus) was a native of 

 Philip Island, while the home of the second (A^. norfolcensis) 

 was the neighbouring Norfolk Island. A species of para- 

 quet {Palaeornis exsul), peculiar to the island of Rodriguez, 

 is also believed to be exterminated. 



Neither has the duck family escaped, for the well-known 

 pied duck {Camptolaemus labradorius), an ally of the eider 

 from the North Atlantic coast of America, appears in the 

 defaulters' list, the last known example having been killed 

 in 1852. 



Passing on to Passerine birds, a notable loss is the hand- 

 some crested pied starling {Fregilupus varius), of Reunion, 

 believed to have become extinct about the middle of the 

 century. Of the few remaining examples of this striking 

 species, one is preserved in the British Museum. Another 

 species, exterminated within approximately the same period, 

 is the gorgeous black and gold mamo, or sicklebill {Drepanis 

 pacified) of Hawaii, whence it was first brought to Europe 

 by Captain Cook. As narrated in the " Birds of the Sand- 

 wich Islands," by Messrs. Scott Wilson and Evans, the 

 extermination of this beautiful species is to be attributed 

 to persecution for the sake of its yellow feathers, which 



