of the Mascarene Islands. 285 
in Bourbon; and the proper haditat of one of these appears 
to us to have been so seriously mistaken by many recent 
authors, that some little space may well be devoted to the 
investigation of the matter. 
Whatever may have been the Psittacus obscurus of Linneeus 
(S. N. ed. 12, p. 140), founded on a “ Parrot from Africa” 
which came under Hasselquist’s notice during his travels in 
the East (It. Paleest. p. 236, fide Linn.), and at first. (1766) 
identified by Linnzus with “Le Perroquet Mascarin” of 
Brisson (Orn. iv. p. 315), there can be no question as to the 
latter, on which, in 1771, was established the P. mascarin— 
an abbreviation most likely for P. mascarinus—of Linnzeus 
(Mantiss. p. 524), that author citing also Daubenton’s figure 
(Pl. Enl. 35), and adding ‘‘ Habitat in Mascarina’”’—the last 
piece of information being doubtless obtained (for Brisson 
had said, ‘‘ J’ignore dans quel pays on le trouve. Je Vai vu 
vivant a Paris.”’) from De Buffon, who stated (Hist. Nat. Ois. 
vi. p. 121), “ M. le Vicomte de Querhoént nous assure qu’on 
le trouve & Vile de Bourbon ot probablement il a été trans- 
porté de Madagascar.” This probability appears very ques- 
tionable, as much so as Buffon’s assertion that the bird received 
its name “ parce qu’il a autour du bec une sorte de masque 
noir qui engage le front, la gorge et le tour de la face.” 
Du Bois, who visited Madagascar and Bourbon in 1669-72, 
gives the following account of the Parrots of the latter :— 
“ Perroquets gris, qui sont aussi bons que des Pigeons. 
“Voila le meilleur Gibier de 1’Isle. 
‘“‘T] y a de plusieurs autres sortes de Perroquets, dont on ne mange 
point; s¢gavoir. 
mimes a la recherche de cet oiseau, et nous en tuames deux. Le perro- 
quet noir vit solitaire dans les bois les plus élevés; il mord violemment: 
la tristesse de ses moeurs répond 4 celle de son plumage.” In a footnote 
he refers his birds to Psittacus niger, Gmelin (S. N. i. p. 886) te. Cora- 
copsis niger (Linn.). Speaking of the same island in another place (iii. 
p- 64), he says:—“Quelques perroquets solitaires, dont j’entendis des 
sifflemens aigus, mais dont je ne pus tuer un seul, peuplent la circonférence 
du volcan.” In this last passage he does not refer the birds to any species ; 
but, from the similarity of phrase, he most likely considered them the 
same as those he had before seen and determined. 




















