(PLATE 2, FIG. 1.)
_Bruant de l'isle de Bourbon_ Daubenton, Pl. Enl. 321.
_Le Mordoré_, Montbeillard, Hist. Nat. Ois., Quarto Edition IV., p. 366
(1778--Bourbon).
_Fringilla bruante_ P.L.S. Müll., Natursyst., Suppl. p. 164, No. 51
(1776--ex Daubenton Pl. enl).
_Emberiza fuscofulva_ Boddaert, Table Pl. Enl. p. 20 (1783--based on
Pl. Enl. 321 and Montbeillard's "Morderé").
_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 ("morderé") and the
wings, wing-coverts and tail as more or less bright rufous ("d'un mordoré
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: Réunion or Bourbon.
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