198 Walter Rothschild: 



On Mauritius also occurred a large Scops Owl, known only 

 from the drawing and description found among Commerson's 

 journals and the works of the artist Jossigny. 



Then all the Mascarene group were inhabited by some 

 curious Starlings. On Reunion the Crested Starling, Fregi- 

 lupus varius, was found, of which a number of sjjeciinens are 

 known ; among others : 4 in Paris, 4 -elsewhere in France, 1 in 

 London, 1 in Stockholm, 1 in Florence, 1 in Turin, and a few 

 others. Of the Rodriguez black and white Necropsar roderi- 

 canus no specimen is known, but a good description is given 

 by Leguat, and we have numerous bones. Of Necropsar 

 legnati only the type in the Liverpool Museum from Verreaux 

 is known, and that, though probably from Mauritius, is 

 marked as coining from Madagascar. 1 Each of the islands 

 was inhabited by several species of Rail and Coot. On 

 Mauritius we know of 2, the so-called Poule Rouge, 

 Aphanapteryx brocchi, of which we have numerous bones and 

 a good sketch by Broeck, reproduced by Frauenfeldt, and 

 the Coot, Palaeolimnas newtoni, of a black colour. On 

 Rodriguez we had 3 species at least ; the large, 6 feet high, 

 " Géant," Leguatia gigantea, white and pink ; the " Oiseau 

 Bleu," like a gigantic Notornis, or titanic blue Water Hen, 

 which is called Apteromis caerulescens, and lastly, Leguat's 

 Rail, Erythromachus legnati, like a large dark-grey Weka, 

 with the naked space round eyes, bill and legs red. Of these 

 we only know the "Gréant" and "Oiseau Bleu" from 

 Leguat's descriptions and figures. 



We have no indications of Rails on Réunion, but I feel 

 certain there were representative species now extinct. 



The giant Coot, Palaeolimnas newtoni, was twice the size of 

 our Fulica atra, and black, with a very large white frontal 

 shield, only known from bones and description. The large 

 species of Scops Owl mentioned before, Professor Oustalet has 

 characterised from the drawing by Jossigny, and the very 

 full description of Commerson, as Scops commersoni. Then 

 there existed on the Mascarenes, in Leguat's time, a large 

 Heron of the type of a Night Heron, and which was named 

 Ar dea megacephala, by Milne Edwards. We also find in the 

 older voyages mention made of several species of Hornbill, 



1 The little Keel Weaver, Fondici ornante, is also quite extinct on Kodriguez. 



