4 



The Naturalist. 



The wild cats are numerous and large, and savage, but they howl at 

 night, and swear, just like our own pussy on the tiles. If the ghosts 

 of the DutchjVien, who discovered the island, ever re-visit it by night, 

 they will be quite satisfied with the result of their efforts to supply a 

 fund of music to the island. 



The birds are perhaps the most interesting feature of the island, 

 especially those which are now extinct. The existing birds are as 

 follows : — 



1 . Foudia fiavicans ; a small orange-headed finch, represented by 



allied species in Madagascar, Mauritius, and the Seychelles. 



2. DrymcEca rodericajia ; a small short-winged warbler, belonging 



to a genus principally found in India. 

 These are the only birds peculiar to the island, but tve have in 

 addition — 



3. Pdttoxida cajia] a small green love-bird, or little parrot. 



Introduced. 



4. AcridotJieres tristis ', the Indian mynah, of the starling tribe. 



Introduced largely into Mauritius to destroy insect life. 



5. Mmiia oryzivora ; the Java sparrow. Introduced by man. 



6. ¥ra7icolinus ponticerianiis ; an Asiatic partridge, introduced by 



man. 



7. Numida tiarata ; guinea-fowl. Introduced. 



8. JEgialitis Geoffroyi , a little ringed plover. 



9. Strepsila-s interpres ; English turnstone. 



10. Tringoides Jiypoleuca ; common sandpiper. 



1 1 . Totaaus glottis ; greenshank. 



12. Numenius pJicEopus ] whimbrel. 



13. Phoenicopterus erytJiroeus\ flamingo, I myself never saw this 



bird on the island, to which it is an occasional visitor ; but 

 I picked up an unmistakeable feather, and was shown in 

 Mauritius two specimens of this bird, obtained in Rodrigues 

 not long before our visit. 

 ] 4. Butorides atricapilla ; a small heron. 



15. Sterna Bermteiui ; a grey tern. 



16. Sterna Dovgallii'^ the roseate tern. I only saw one pair of 



this bird, which I shot. They were remarkable as having * 

 the biU jet-black. 



17. Sterna fuliginosa sooty tern. An occasional English visitor. 



