Hi
r>a K é u n io n :— “ T h e V ic om te d c Q u e rlio c n t b a s fr e q u e n tly o b se rv e d tb e s e Sw allow s
i iy in g a b o u t in tlio n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f a c u t t in g w liic h h e h a d m a d e iu o n e o f th e m o u n ta
in s , a n d th i s in d u c e d h im to b e lie v e t h a t th e b ird s ro o s te d fo r th e n ig h t in liole s in
th e g ro u n d o r in c le fts o f th e ro c k s , lik e o u r S a n d -M a rtin s a n d Sw ifts. T h e y n e s t in a ll
liro b a h ility in th e s am e h o le s , a n d th i s is th e m o re lik e ly , a s t l ie i r n e s ts a r e n o t k n ow n
(d sew h e re in t h e is la n d . T h e o n ly in fo rm a tio n w h ic h tliis g e n tlem a n c o u ld g a in
r e s p e c tin g th e n id if ic a tio n o f th e sp e c ie s in L a i l c u n io n was d e r iv e d from a n o ld C reo le ,
w h o in fo rm e d h im t h a t t h e b re e d in g -s e a so n w a s in S e p tem b e r a n d O c to b e r, t h a t he h a d
t a k e n m a n y n e s ts in c a v e s a n d lio le s in th e ro c k s , t h a t th e u e s ts w e re com p o sed of
s t r aw a n d f e a th e r s , a n d t h a t a ll th e e g g s w h ic li h e h a d se e n w e re g re y is h w h ite , m in u te ly
d o tte d w ith b row n .”
S ir E dw a rd N ew to n in h is “ O r n ith o lo g ic a l N o te s fr om M a u r itiu s ,” p u b lish e d in
‘ 'J'h e I b i s ’ fo r 1 8 0 1 , w ro te a s fo llow s :—
“ T b is v e r y lo c a l sp e c ie s is to le r a b ly c om m o n . T h e y seem fo n d o f fe e d in g
o v e r th e s a n d a t low w a te r a n d s i tt in g o n it, a f te r th e m a im e r o f S a n d M a r tin s in
E n g la n d , u t t e r in g a t th e s am e tim e a m o s t p e c u lia r w h is tle f o r a M a r tin . W h e n fly in g
th e y h a v e a n o te w h ic h v e ry m u c h r e s em b le s t h a t o f a E e e -e a te r, a s f a r a s m y re c o lle c tio n
g o es o f t h a t b i r d ’s c ry w h e n p a s s in g th ro u g l i E g y p t in 1 8 5 0 . T h e s e b ird s a r c a lso g iv e n
to p e r c h in g o n t re e s ; a u d I n o tic e d th ro e t h a t w e re in th e h a b i t o f t a k in g u p th e i r
p o s itio n o n th e sam e b o u g h e v e ry d a y a t a b o u t th e sam e h o u r, p ro b a b ly aw a itin g tb e
f a llin g o f tb e tid e . T h e y a r e , 1 tb in k , e a rly b re e d e r s . I n a sm a ll c a v e rn o n th o w e s te rn
fa c e o f th e e a s t s id e o f th e B a ie d n C ap , I s aw s e v e ra l, a n d , from th e i r m a n n e r, I am
c e r t a in t h a t th e y e i th e r lia d n e s ts o r w e re a b o u t to b u ild . I o b se rv e d o n e w liic h h a d
i ts h a c k o f a d a r k a s h - b row n ; I h a d u o g u n w ith m e a t th e tim e , a n d th e in d iv id u a l
n e v e r sh ow e d its e lf a g a in .”
I n h is a d d r e s s re c e n tly d e liv e re d , a s P r e s id e n t o f th e N o r fo lk a n d N o rw ic h N a tu r a l
I l i s to r y S o c ie ty , S ir E dw a rd sp e a k s o f th i s Sw a llow :—“ T b a t o th e r b ird s o f M a u r it iu s a re
dw in d lin g in n um b e r s th e r e is , I th in k , no d o u b t. S in c e m y re s id e n c e in tb e is la n d , a law
h a s b e e n p a s s e d w h ic h affo rd s th em , 1 t r u s t , som e p ro te c tio n , a u d m a y p o s s ib ly jirc s e rv e
th em to f u t u r e g e n e r a tio n s . Y e t th e r e is o n e w h ic h v e ry n e a r ly c am e to a n e n d in m y
tim e , a n d th o u g h n o t q u i t e e x t in c t in t h e is la n d , I m a y j u s t m e n tio n t h e c irc um s ta n c e
r e la t in g to i t. T liis is a Sw a llow o r M a r tin b e lo n g in g to t h e g e n u s P h e d in a , a n d is o n e
o f tb e few la n d -b ird s t h a t is fo u n d in M a u r itiu s a n d K é u n io n . I n M a u r it iu s i t seems,
so f a r a s my e x p e rie n c e goes, to h a v e b e e n a lw a y s v e r y lo c a l, a n d its n um b e r s w e re so
m u c h re d u c e d by a c y c lo n e w h ic li ra v a g e d th e i s la n d b e tw e e n th e 1 2 th a n d 1 7 th E e h r u a ry ,
1 8 6 1 , t h a t I n e v e r a f te rw a rd s saw b u t th r e e o r fo u r from t h a t t im e t i l l m y d e p a r tu r e
i n 1 8 7 8 .”
T h o fo llow in g n o te is t a k e n fr om ¡Mr. P o lle n ’s a c c o u n t o f tb e sp e c ie s in th e ‘ E a u n e
d o M a d a g a s c a r ’ :—
“ ■\Vitb re g a rd to th e sp e c ie s in R é u n io n , M . C o q iie rc l s a y s :— ‘ T h is Swallow,
w liich is fo tin d in M a u r it iu s a n d M a d a g a s c a r, is c om m o n in llé u n io n . A v e ry r e in a rk -
J
a b le v a r ie ty , rvhich is IcnowB in tb is c o u n try u n d e r t b e n am e o f t h e I l i r o n d e l l e des ga le ls ,
a n d iv b ich re s ts , in f a c t, on tire s h in g lo o f tlic sea -sid e b a n k s , c o n s titu te s p e r h a p s a d is tin c t
s p e c ie s : i t is a l i t t l e l a rg e r , w ith th e b ill s tro n g e r , th e ta r s u s a n d th e to e s a r e m o re
s le n d e r, a n d th e c law s le s s s to u t a n d lo n g e r ; th e u p p e r p a r t o f th e b o d y a n d t a d a n d
tb e l a rg e r q u ills h a v e le s s b u i t iu th e h row n , a n d t h e u n d c r p a r t s o f th o b o d y ave d e a r
g re y s tre a k e d w ith b row n . T h is in d ic a te s a b ird s im ila r to t l i a t o f M a d a g a s c a r, im t
i t p ro b a lily does n o t d iffe r from t r u e H . horhonica, e x c e p t liy b e in g in fu lle r p lum a g e .
“ T h is sp e c ie s is b e c om in g e v e ry d a y r a r e r iu th e i s la n d o f R ó u n io n a s w d l a s m
M a u r itiu s , a n d , os a m a t t e r o f fa c t, i t is c o u fin e d to c e rta in lo c a litie s ; wc liav e o b served
i t in th e m o u n ta in s s ilu a tc d b e tw e e n L a F o s s e s s io n a n d th e tow n o f S t. P a u l, p rin c ip a lly
n e a r th e m a n u fa c to ry o f o u r g ood f r ie n d R d to u t. Tlieso liird s o fte n r e s t o n b ra n c h e s
o f tr e e s o r o n ro c k s , b u t i t is a m is ta k e w h e n th e illu s tr io u s B u llb ii p r e te n d s t h a t Bmy liy
r o u n d a b o u t tlie sh ijis wliich h a p p e n to b e iu th e r o a d s : t lie ir flig h t is v e r y sw i t t a n d
re s em b le s t h a t o£ o u r Sw a llow s. A c c o rd in g to M . J e a ii R e to u t , a c le v e r Im u t c r h vm g
a t P o s se ssio n , th is sp e c ie s is a lso fo u n d in tlio S a v a n n a h w liic h e x te n d s b e tw e e n t h a t p lac e
a n d S t. P a u l, a n d is k n ow n a s th e P o in t d c s g a l e t s ; th e in lia b ita n ts o f R e u n io n p r e te n d
t h a t o f tliis sp ec ie s, wdiioli th e y c a ll th e Ih r o n d e ll e d c s hUs, th e r e is io u n d a v a r ie ty to
wliioh th e y g iv e th e d is tiiig u is liin g n am e o f l lir o n d cU e d c s tja le ls. I fu riiis lie d som e n o te s
a s w d l as' a fig u re o f th i s sp e c ie s to o u r fr ie n d M . C o q u e rd ,^ w h o h a s in s e r te d th em iu
h is m em o ir in th e fo u r th v o lum e o f liis a lb um o f L a U é iin io ii,”
T h e d e s c rip tio n a n d fig u ro o f th i s sp e c ie s a ro to k e n fr om a s p e c im e n in th e B ritis li
M u s e um .
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