7 



FOUDIA BRUANTE (P.L.S. MULL.) 



(Plate 2, Fig. 1.) 



Bruant de Visle de Bourbon Daubenton, PI. Enl. 321. 



Le MordoH, Montbeillard, Hist. Nat. Ois., Quarto Edition IV., p. 366 (1778 — Bourbon). 



Fringilla bruante P.L.S. Mull., Natursyst., Suppl. p. 164, No. 51 (1776 — ex Daubenton 

 PI. enl). 



Emberiza fuscofulva Boddaert, Table PI. Enl. p. 20 (1783 — based on PI. Enl. 321 and 

 Montbeillard's " Mordere "). 



Emberiza borbonica Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I p. 886 (1788 — ex Daubenton and Montbeillard). 



Foudia bruante Newton, Trans. Norf. and Norw. Nat. Soc. IV., pp. 543 and 548 (1889). 



Nesacanthis fusco-fulvus Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XIII p. 484 (1890). 



WE know absolutely nothing about this bird, except Daubenton's figure 

 and the description by Montbeillard. In the plate the whole body, 

 including the back, is uniform red, about the same red as in other 

 species of Foudia, while the wings and tail are dark brown with yellowish- 

 brown borders. In the description the body plumage is described as rufous 

 ("mordere") and the wings, wing-coverts and tail as more or less bright 

 rufous ("d'un mordore plus ou moins clair "). The size is said to be about 

 that of a Bunting, but the tail shorter and the wings longer. 



According to Dr. Sharpe (Cat. B. XIII, p. 484) "it has generally been 

 considered identical with Foudia madagascariensis" but the latter has the 

 back marked with longitudinal black spots, while both the figure and description 

 of F. bruante represent a uniform red upperside ; moreover the locality of the 

 latter is expressly stated, and as we know other forms of Foudia from the 

 Seychelles, Mauritius, Comoros, Aldabra and Madagascar, we have no reason 

 to doubt the statement. We are not aware of any specimen existing of this 

 doubtless extinct bird, though it would be worth while to search the Paris 

 Museum for this treasure. 



Habitat : Reunion or Bourbon. 



