Dryolimnas cuvieri ( Pucheran, 1845 )

Hume, Julian Pender, 2019, Systematics, morphology and ecology of rails (Aves: Rallidae) of the Mascarene Islands, with one new species, Zootaxa 4626 (1), pp. 1-107 : 39-43

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4626.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6CC12BAF-968F-4BDE-9315-340AF12A76EC
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5582624
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0E538795-3548-FFF0-FF1F-F9A9FC4CFD3E
treatment provided by	Plazi (2019-07-15 08:05:06, last updated 2024-11-29 13:06:33)
scientific name	Dryolimnas cuvieri ( Pucheran, 1845 )
status

Treatment

White-throated Rail Dryolimnas cuvieri ( Pucheran, 1845) View in CoL

Rallus cuvieri: Pucheran, 1845, p.279 ( Mauritius)

Rallus gularis: Hartlaub, 1877, p.337 ; Milne-Edwards & Grandidier, 1879, p.569, pls.230b, 232; Guérin, 1942, 2(6) (auctorum nec Horsfield, 1822, p.196)

Dryolimnas cuvieri: Sharpe, 1894, p.70 View in CoL

Dryolimnas cuvieri cuvieri: Sclater, 1924, p.101 View in CoL ; Rountree et al. 1952; Dickinson & Remsen, 2013, p.155; del Hoyo & Collar, 2014, pp.344

Holotype: MNHN-ZO-2011- 535 ♀ ( Fig. 31 View FIGURE 31 ). The holotype was described from a live specimen captured on Mauritius in 1809 by Colonel M. Mathieu ( Schlegel & Pollen 1868), who was attached to the naval artillery and supplied an important collection of animals to the MNHN ( Cheke & Hume 2008; Hume 2011a).

Measurements: See Appendix 2.

Type locality: Mauritius, Mascarene Islands (vagrant).

Distribution: Madagascar, Mayotte, ( Comoros), Mauritius, Aldabra Atoll ( ssp aldabranus ) and Assumption Island ( ssp abbotti ).

Etymology: After Léopold Chrêtien Frédéric Dagobert Baron Cuvier (1769–1832), French anatomist, and better known by his assumed name, Georges Cuvier ( Jobling 2009).

Diagnosis: In skeleton, as for genus.

Description of skin ( Fig. 31 View FIGURE 31 ): In nominate, head, neck and breast vinous-chestnut; chin and throat white; mantle and scapulars to upper-tail coverts greenish-olive, with blackish-brown streaks on lower mantle, scapulars and back; tail olive-brown; flanks, belly and thighs greenish olive-brown; hind flanks and belly buffy-white barred black; median undertail-coverts dark brown barred white and lateral undertail-coverts white; wings olive-brown tinged greenish, with darker central streak on tertials; rostrum blackish, mandible red with blackish tip; iris reddishorange to reddish-brown; legs and feet greenish-grey or brownish-grey. Sexes alike. In D. c. aldabranus , smaller, with much reduced wing than nominate ( Table 2 View TABLE 2 ); top and sides of head more olive-brown; upperparts slightly paler, streaking reduced or absent; wings dull grey-brown; lower flanks and belly paler with less distinct white barring; bill blackish-brown, with pink on lower half of rostrum and basal third of mandible; iris orange-brown; legs and feet dark brown or black. Sexes alike. In D. c. abbotti , smaller than nominate, with wing intermediate in length between nominate and D. c. aldabranus ( Table 3 View TABLE 3 ); upperparts paler, more greenish-olive; dark streaks variable, narrower, fainter or absent; white on throat more extensive, reaching upper breast; broader white barring on underside; bill black, basal third of mandible bright red; legs and feet dark brown.

Remarks: The White-throated Rail is divided into three subspecies, nominate and volant D. c. cuvieri , which is found widely on Madagascar and as a vagrant on both Mayotte, Comoros, and Mauritius ( Safford & Hawkins 2013), while flightless and poorly volant forms, D. c. aldabranus and D. c. abbotti are endemic to Aldabra Atoll and Assumption Island respectively ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ); D. c. abbotti is now extinct ( Safford & Hawkins 2013; Hume 2017). The holotype of the nominate collected on Mauritius is undifferentiated in colouration and wing and tarsus measurements from those on Madagascar, which is the normal distribution of this species ( Ripley 1977; Taylor & van Perlo 1998 ). Dryolimnas cuvieri was considered to be either a former resident on Mauritius, or a vagrant, despite the holotype having enlarged ovaries ( Rountree et al. 1952; Cheke 1987; Cowles 1987), but no specimens have been recorded on Mauritius since the type was collected. The discovery of subfossil remains have confirmed that an endemic, poorly volant or flightless species once occurred on the island (see below).

References

Cheke, A. S. (1987) An ecological history of the Mascarene Islands, with particular reference to extinctions and introductions of land vertebrates. In: Diamond, A. W. (Ed.), Studies of Mascarene Island Birds. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 5 - 89. https: // doi. org / 10.1017 / CBO 9780511735769.003

Cheke, A. S. & Hume, J. P. (2008) Lost Land of the Dodo: an Ecological History of Mauritius, Reunion & Rodrigues. T. & A. D. Poyser, London, 464 pp. [reprinted 2011]

Cowles, G. S. (1987) The fossil record. In: Diamond, A. W. (Ed.), Studies of Mascarene Island birds. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 90 - 100. https: // doi. org / 10.1017 / CBO 9780511735769.004

Dickinson, E. C. & Remsen, J. V. (Eds.) (2013) The Howard and Moore complete checklist of the birds of the world. Vol. 1. Nonpasserines. Aves Press, Eastbourne, 461 pp.

Guerin, R. (1942) Fauna ornithologique ancienne et actuelle des Iles Mascareignes, Seychelles, Comores et des iles avoisinantes. Vol. 2. General Printing and Stationary Co., Port Louis, 94 pp.

Hartlaub, G. (1877) Die Vogel Madagascar und der benachbarten Insel Gruppen B. H. W. Schmidt, Halle, 425 pp.

Horsfield, T. (1822) Systematic arrangement and description of birds from the Island of Java. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, 13 (1), 133 - 200. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / j. 1095 - 8339.1821. tb 00061. x

del Hoyo, J. & Collar, N. J. (2014) HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Vol. 1. Nonpasserines. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, 904 pp.

Hume, J. P. (2011 a) Systematics, morphology, and ecology of pigeons and doves (Aves: Columbidae) of the Mascarene Islands, with three new species. Zootaxa, 3124, 1 - 62.

Hume, J. P. (2017) Extinct Birds. 2 nd Edition. Helm, London, 608 pp.

Jobling, J. A. (2009) Helm dictionary of scientific bird names. A & C. Black Publishers Ltd, London, 432 pp.

Milne-Edwards, A. & Grandidier, A. (1879) Histoire Physique, Naturelle et Politique de Madagascar. Oiseaux, vol. 12, pt. 1 (texte), pt. 2 (plates). Paris, 779 pp / 308 pp.

Pucheran, M. (1845) Notes sur quelques especes Madecasses de l'order des Echassiers. Revue Zoologique, par la Societe Cuvierienne, 8, 277 - 280.

Ripley, S. D. (1977) Rails of the world. Godine, Boston, 406 pp.

Rountree, R. R. G., Guerin, R., Pelte, S. & Vinson, J. (1952) Catalogue of the birds of Mauritius. Mauritius Institute Bulletin, 3, 155 - 217.

Safford, R. J. & Hawkins, A. F. A. (2013) The birds of Africa. Volume VIII. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, 1024 pp.

Schlegel, H. & Pollen, F. P. L. (1868) Mammiferes et Oiseaux. Vol. 2. Recherches sur la Faune de Madagascar et de ses dependances, d'apres les decouvertes de Francois P. L. Pollen et D. C. van Dam. J. K. Steenhoff, Leiden, 186 pp.

Sclater, W. L. (1924) Systema Avium Aethiopicatrum. A systematic list of the birds of the Ethiopian Region. Pt. 1. British Ornithologists' Union, London, 304 pp.

Sharpe, R. B. (1894) Catalogue of the birds in the British Museum. Vol. 23. Catalogue of the Fulicariae (Rallidae and Heliornithidae) and Alectorides (Aramidae, Eurypygidae, Mesitidae, Rhinochetidae, Gruidae, Psophidae, and Otididae). Printed by order of the Trustees, London, 353 pp.

Taylor, B. & van Perlo, B. (1998) Rails; a guide to the rails, crakes, gallinules and coots of the World. Robertsbridge, Pica Press, Sussex, 600 pp.

Figures

FIGURE 1. The Mascarene Islands of Réunion, Mauritius and Rodrigues with the distribution of Rallidae in the southwestern Indian Ocean used in the analysis.

FIGURE 31. Comparison of the skins, dorsal view above, ventral view below, of Dryolimnas cuvieri. From left to right: D. c. cuvieri MNHN-Zo-2011-535 ♀ holotype; D. c. cuvieri NHMUK 1931.8.18.1000 ♂; D. c. cuvieri NHMUK 1931.8.18.999 ♀; D. c. aldabranus NHMUK 1968.43.102 ♂; D. c. aldabranus NHMUK 1906.12.21.143 ♀; †D. c. abbotti NHMUK 1906.12.21.140 ♂; †D. c. abbotti NHMUK 1906.12.21.141 ♀.