INTRODUCTION._Extinct birds

The study of the forms of life no longer existing on the earth, from the

scanty remains preserved to us, has provoked a very great interest almost

from the commencement of historical times. The very small portion of this

vast field I am treating of in the following pages has a special

attraction, as it deals to a great extent with forms familiar in a living

state to our immediate forefathers and even to some of ourselves. Although

I have here arranged the species systematically, they fall into two

distinct categories, namely those known externally as well as internally,

and those of which we know bones and egg-shells only. Under the former

category might be included those merely known from descriptions or figures

in ancient books, as well as those of which specimens exist. In the present

work several plates have been reconstructed from such descriptions in order

to give some idea of their probable appearance. There is considerable

difference of opinion as to the approximate date of the disappearance of

many of the species known from bones dug from deposits which have been

variously determined as pleistocene and post-pleistocene. It seems to me

that this problem can never be entirely solved, but the significant fact

remains, that while many bones of these species in one locality have been

collected in the kitchen-middens of the former inhabitants, in other

localities the same bones occur in what seem to be much older formations.

In view of this and kindred facts, I have mentioned many species which some

ornithologists will probably consider outside the range of the present

treatise, viz., birds which have become extinct in the last seven- or

eight-hundred years. Taking my first category, viz., those species whose

exterior is more or less known, our knowledge is very variable in scope;

about some we have a very full and even redundant literature, such as the

Great Auk, the Labrador Duck, and Notornis, while of others, such as most

of the extinct Parrots from the West Indies, the "Giant" of Mauritius, the

"Blue Bird" of Bourbon, and so forth, we have the very scantiest knowledge.

Even in the times of Leguat and Labat there must have been many species,

now extinct, of which no mention has ever been made, for {viii} these old

writers only mentioned such species which impressed themselves on their

memories either from their size, peculiar shape, beauty of plumage, or

excellence and usefulness for food--in fact the culinary property of the

various birds seems to have been their principal interest. One of the most

interesting phenomena connected with recently extinct birds is the

resemblance of the fauna of the Mascarene Islands and that of the Chatham

Islands in the possession of a number of large flightless Rails, though the

significance of this fact has been much exaggerated.

On the whole, this book is confined to species actually known to be

extinct, but a few are included of which a small number is still known to

exist, because firstly there seems no doubt that they will vanish soon, and

secondly, as in the case of _Notornis_, it was necessary to clear up

certain misconceptions and contradictory statements. In the case of a few

species believed to be quite extinct, it is possible that some individuals

may still exist in little known parts of their range, while on the other

hand it is more than likely that several of the species referred to in my

lecture (Proc. Orn. Congress pp. 191-207, 1907) as threatened with

destruction, have already ceased to live. This may also be the case with

some birds not alluded to at all.

In several instances I have treated of extinct flightless species under

genera including existing species capable of flight. This may appear to be

inconsistent, seeing that I maintain _Notornis_ separate from _Porphyrio_,

but, while not considering flightlessness in itself a generic character,

the great development of the wing-coverts and the modification of the toes

appear of sufficient generic value in this case. I know that several of the

most eminent ornithologists of the day, among them Dr. Sharpe, differ from

me, and are convinced that the loss of the power of flight is so profound a

modification, that it is imperative that we should treat it as sufficient

for generic distinction.

While agreeing that many genera are founded on much less striking

modifications, I cannot concur in this opinion, for, unless the loss of the

power of flight is also accompanied by other changes, in some cases it is

difficult to find at first sight even specific differences other than the

aborted wings.

The cause of recent extinction among birds is in most cases due directly or

indirectly to man, but we also have instances of birds becoming extinct for

no apparent reason whatever.

Man has destroyed, and is continually destroying species directly, either

for {ix} food or for sport, but also in many other ways he contributes to

their destruction. Some species have been exterminated by the introduction

of animals of prey, such as rats, cats, mongoose, etc., and we know that

also the acclimatisation of other birds, such as the mynah, etc., has

proved to be harmful to the native birds. Again we find that the

introduction of domestic creatures or others kept as pets has brought

diseases which may prove fatal to the indigenous fauna. Another means by

which man causes immense destruction, is by destroying the natural habitat

of various species. By cutting down or burning the forests, prairies, or

scrub, and by bringing the land under cultivation, man indirectly kills off

a species through starvation, from extermination of certain insects or

plants on which it depends for food. Many species, such as the Moas, were

evidently greatly reduced in numbers by cataclysms of Nature, such as

volcanic outbreaks, earthquakes, floods, bush fires, etc., and then died

out from what appears only explicable by the natural exhaustion of their

vitality. The chief cause of the extermination of the Moas was undoubtedly

their slaughter by the Maoris for food, but in several inaccessible parts

of the interior large numbers of Moa remains have been found which

undoubtedly had died for no apparent reason.

This cause also seems to be the only explanation of the dying out of such

birds as _Aechmorhynchus_, _Chaetoptila_, _Camptolaimus_ and others.

The melancholy fact however remains that man and his satellites, cats,

rats, dogs, and pigs are the worst and in fact the only important agents of

destruction of the native avifaunas wherever they go.

I have not included in the body of this work the fossil species from the

pleistocene of Europe, Asia, Australia and America, as I believe that these

belonged to an avifauna of an epoch considerably anterior to those

attributed to the pleistocene of New Zealand and the adjacent islands, as

well as that of the Mascarenes and Madagascar. I, however, give here the

list of the species described from the above mentioned regions which I have

been able to find in our literature, to serve as a guide to those who may

think I ought to have included them in the work itself.

_Strix melitensis_ Lydekker Malta.

_Vultur melitensis_ Lydekker Malta.

_Pelecanus proavus_ De Vis Queensland.

_Phalacrocorax sp._ Lydekker New Zealand.

_Aythya robusta_ De Vis Queensland.

_Anas elapsa_ De Vis Queensland.

_Anas benedeni_ Sharpe Belgium.

_Alopochen pugil_ Winge Brazil.

{x}

_Dendrocygna validipennis_ (De Vis) Queensland.

_Branta hypsibata_ Cope Oregon.

_Branta propinqua_ Schufeldt Oregon.

_Anser scaldii_ Van Beneden Belgium.

_Anser sp._ Lydekker England.

_Anser coudoni_ Schufeldt Oregon.

_Cygnus sp._ Lydekker Malta.

_Cygnus falconeri_ Parker Malta.

_Palaeopelargus nobilis_ De Vis Queensland.

_Prociconia lydekkeri_ Ameghino Brazil.

_Platibis subtenuis_ De Vis Queensland.

_Grus proavus_ Marsh New Jersey.

_Grus melitensis_ Lydekker Malta.

_Grus turfa_ Portis Italy.

_Grus primigenia_ Milne Edwards France.

_Fulica prior_ De Vis Queensland.

_Fulica pisana_ Portis Italy.

_Porphyrio mackintoshi_ De Vis Queensland.

_Gallinula strenuipes_ De Vis Queensland.

_Gallinula peralata_ De Vis Queensland.

_Microtribonyx effluxus_ De Vis Queensland.

_Progura gallinacea_ De Vis Queensland.

_Columba melitensis_ Lydekker Malta.

_Lithophaps ulnaris_ De Vis Queensland.

_Gallus sp._ Lydekker New Zealand.

_Gallus sp._ Lydekker Central Germany.

_Phasianus sp._ Lydekker Germany.

_Perdix sp._ Issel Italy.

_Tetrao sp._ Issel Italy.

_Metapteryx bifrons_ De Vis Queensland.

_Dromaius queenslandiae_ (De Vis) Queensland.

_Dromaius gracilipes_ (De Vis) Queensland.

_Dromaius patricius_ (De Vis) East Australia.

_Genyornis newtoni_ Sterling & Zeitz South Australia.

_Casuarius lydekkeri_ nom. nov.

"The distal extremity of the tibio-tarsus is narrow, without a semilunar

pit on the lateral surface of the ectocondyle, and with a very deep

extensor groove" (Lydekker, Cat. Fossil B. Brit. Mus., p. 353). {xi}

Type, a caste of the distal portion of the right tibio-tarsus, in the

British Museum. The original is preserved in the Museum at Sydney and was

obtained from the pleistocene cavern-deposits in the Wellington Valley in

New South Wales.

A bird usually stated to be extinct is _Monarcha dimidiata_, from

Rara-Tonga, but in March, 1901, two specimens, male and female, were

procured by the Earl of Ranfurly. Doubtless this is a species which will

one day vanish entirely, but at present it hardly comes within the scope of

this work.

The birds known to be more or less on the verge of extinction which I have

not thought advisable to give in the main part of this book might, for

convenience of reference and to avoid possible controversy as to my having

omitted any species, be given here, but it must be understood that of these

species I only know the fact that their numbers have been greatly reduced

and mostly almost to vanishing point. I have already mentioned before that

some of them may already have disappeared, but in many cases recent

investigations are wanting, and all, therefore, that can be said of them is

that they are threatened and may soon become extinct, if they still exist.

_Myadestes sibilans_ St. Vincent.

_Myadestes genibarbis_ Martinique.

_Cinclocerthia gutturalis_ Martinique.

_Rhamphocinclus brachyurus_ Martinique.

_Ixocincla olivacea_ Mauritius.

_Phedina borbonica_ Mascarene Islands.

_Trochocercus borbonicus_ Mascarene Islands.

_Oxynotus typicus_ Mauritius.

_Foudia newtoni_ Bourbon.

_Drymoeca rodericana_ Rodriguez.

_Cyanorhamphus cooki_ Norfolk Island.

_Cyanorhamphus erythrotis_ Antipodes Island.

_Cyanorhamphus unicolor_ Antipodes Island.

_Turnagra tanagra_ North Island, New Zealand.

_Sceloglaux albifacies_ Middle Island, New Zealand.

_Miro albifrons_ North Island, New Zealand.

_Miro australis_ Middle Island, New Zealand.

_Clitonyx albicilla_ North Island, New Zealand.

_Pogonornis cincta_ North Island, New Zealand.

_Hypotaenidia mülleri_ Auckland Island.

_Mergus australis_ Auckland Island.

{xii}

_Nesonetta aucklandica_ Auckland Island.

_Ocydromus? sylvestris_ Lord Howe's Island.

_Puffinus newelli_ Hawaiian Islands.

_Telespiza flaviceps_ Hawaii.

_Nesochen sandvicensis_ Hawaii.

_Pareudiastes pacificus_ Samoa.

_Nesomimus trifasciatus_ Charles? and Gardener

Island, Galápagos Islands.

_Phalacrocorax harrisi_ Galápagos Islands.

_Meleagris americana_ United States.

_Conurus carolinensis_ Southern United States.

_Pseudgryphus californianus_ California.

_Amazona guildingi_ St. Vincent.

_Campephilus principalis_ Southern United States.

_Pyrrhula pyrrhula murina_ Azores.

_Stringops habroptilus_ New Zealand.

_Anthornis melanocephala_ Chatham Islands.

_Gallinago pusilla_ Chatham Islands.

_Thinornis novaezealandiae_ Chatham Islands.

_Amazona augusta_ Dominica.

_Amazona bouqueti_ St. Lucia.

_Amazona versicolor_ Dominica.

_Hemignathus lanaiensis_ Lanai, Sandwich Islands.

Many of my readers will, I fear, find fault with me for having bestowed

names on a number of forms, known only from fragments of bones, single

bones, or two or three bones. Especially will they, I fear, blame me for

doing this when these forms have been described by other authors who have

refrained from giving names. My reasons for doing so are very simple: in

such cases as Dr. Parker's species which are fully described, but quoted

under the formula _Pachyornis species A_ or _Anomalopteryx species B_, the

danger lies in different authors using the same formula for quite other

species. In the case of others, where an author fears to name a form, but

gives the distinctive characters and quotes only _Casuarius species_ or

_Emeus sp._, unless the author and page are quoted, confusion must arise,

and so in both cases I have thought it easier for reference and also more

concise to name all these forms which have been described or differentiated

without a binomial or trinomial appellation. I have, however, refrained

from doing so in the foregoing list of Pleistocene species in the {xiii}

following eight cases as I was not able to decide anything about them with

the material or literature at my disposal, viz.:--