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American Museumnovitates AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES Published by Number 1237 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY June 30, 1943 New York City BIRDS COLLECTED DURING THE WHITNEY SOUTH SEA BIRDS COLLECTED DURING THE WHITNEY SOUTH SEA EXPEDITION. 521 NOTES ON SOME NON-PASSERINE GENERA, 3 BY DEAN AMADON The present taxonomic notes on some of Dr. E. Mayr gave me much valuable the non-passerine birds of Polynesia col- assistance and advice in the preparation of lected by the Whitney Expedition are a the manuscript, and in other ways. For continuation of those contained in Ameri- the loan of rare specimens or for other can Museum Novitates Nos. 1175 and courtesies I am greatly indebted to Drs. 1176. In this paper species belonging to H. Friedmnann, A. Wetmore, J. T. Zimmer one genus of the Anatidae and to several and Mr. J. L. Peters. genera of the Columbidae are discussed. A REVISION OF ANAS SUPERCILIOSA Anas superciliosa is a typical member spread of superciliosa into the Pacific of the central, mallard-like group of the islands has given it a range more or less genus Anas. Its distribution suggests complementary, insofar as that of an island that this species is an Australian endemism species can be, with those of oustaleti and which later spread to New Zealand, the luzonica; this is believed to be secondary East Indies and much of Polynesia. Anas and fortuitous. superciliosa resembles A. luzonica of the In all, 273 specimens of superciliosa, not Philippines sufficiently to suggest that the including downy young, were studied. two may have been subspecies at some Dr. Herbert Friedmann of the U. S. Na- remote period. Other species of this tional Museum generously lent six Celebes genus native to the islands of the western skins from the series from which Riley Pacific are wyvilliana of Hawaii, laysanen- described the race percna. sis of Laysan and oustaleti of the Marianne VARIABLE CHARACTERS.-New Zealand Islands. The latter three species are specimens are paler than those from other evidently rather recent derivatives of the localities; this is the only geographical mallard, A. platyrhynchos, as shown by the color variation that was found. Non-. presence of curled tail feathers in some geographical variation is extensive and in males of all three and by numerous other small samples deceptive. This has re- characters. Presumably wyvilliana, like sulted in great over-emphasis on the im- Nesochen sandwichensis, evolved from portance of color as a racial character in North American migrants or stragglers this duck. Fading and bleaching, proc- which remained in the Hawaiian Islands. esses which are accentuated by the glare of Whether laysanensis and oustaleti repre- sunlight upon water and perhaps by the sent independent colonizations by mallards frequent contact of water with the plum- or secondary extensions of range from age, greatly affect its coloration. Many Hawaii is not at once apparent. The skins are discolored by the ferruginous stains so common on waterfowl. The 1 The preceding ten papers in this series are Ameri- light areas of the throat and neck are the can Museum Novitates, Nos. 1057, 1091, 1116, 1133, 1144, 1152, 1166, 1175, 1176 and 1192. first to become stained, sometimes so uni- 2 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES [No. 1237 formly that this buffy coloration appears urements given below average consider- natural. Misinterpretation of such stains, ably larger than those given by many other in my opinion, led Riley to state that writers for this species. For example, Celebes birds have the throat "deeper buff, wing measurements of males of the race more pinkish . " than Australian ones rogersi, as recorded in the literature, usu- (1919, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XXXII, p. ally vary from 230-275 mm.; actually very 94). few adult males of this form with the pri- Sexual differences in color are restricted maries in good condition have a wing length to the elongated inner secondaries. In qf less than 258 or 260 mm. females these (always?) have buffy longi- tudinal streaks in addition to their narrow Anas superciliosa superciliosa Gmelin buffy margins. Unfortunately these TYPE LoCALITY.-New Zealand. streaks often disappear completely with SUBSPECIFIC CHARACTERS.-Like rogersi of wear, but when present they are diagnostic Australia but with the feather margins pale of females. Females also tend to have less grayish or buffy white, rather than buffy or brownish white; hence a paler bird with more of the metallic purple-green of the specu- conspicuous feather margins; size the same as lum continued on the inner vanes of these in roaersi. longer secondaries, but this is not constant. RANGE.-New Zealand region: "Kermadec Size variation in Anas superciliosa is Islands, North, South and Steward Islands, Great Barrier Island, Mayor Island, Kapiti, better reflected in the wing length than in Chatham, Auckland, Campbell and Macquarie any other "skin" measurement. Wing Islands. Abundant everywhere except on the length is greatly affected by wear. That southern islands where small numbers only have part of the tip of each of the longer pri- been seen" (Oliver, 1930, Birds New Zealand, p. 217). maries which is not covered by the one WING.-New ZEALAND: e 256+, 262; 9 above becomes bleached and weakened 246, 246+, 255+ (sex ?). by the sun until it breaks off as though cut CULMEN.-New Zealand: e 50, 53.5; 9 with a knife. The wing is thus shortened 47.5,49,52.5. by several millimeters in a way that is not REMARKS.-A. s. superciliosa is a rather evident without careful inspection. An- poorly differentiated race, but specimens other difficulty results from the anseri- in unworn plumage can probably be sepa- form molt in which all the primaries are rated from rogersi with few exceptions. renewed together. Primaries which ap- Eight old specimens from New Zealand pear newly molted and in good condition and a single juvenal female collected by for measuring may lack several millimeters the Whitney Expedition on Pitt Island, of attaining full length, even though the Chathams, in 1926 were available. The sheath has disappeared from their shafts. latter specimen is very pale, with the Such partially grown primaries are best feathers broadly margined; hence it rep- detected by the fact that they do not resents extreme development of the char- project beyond the ends of the secondaries acters of superciliosa. This is probably as much as is normal. The absence of any to be attributed to its immaturity or pos- characters by which immature birds may sibly to individual variation rather than be recognized as such is a further difficulty. to geographical variation. In general their plumage is softer and According to Oliver, several partial or more subject to wear and staining, and complete albinos of this race have been they are smaller than adults. Ma'es are recorded; he suggests that this may be the considerably larger than females, rnd result of crossing with feral domestic among adults only a few of the extremes ducks. One of the eight New Zealand overlap in wing length. birds examined is partially albinistic. It Since so many factors affect wing length is in wretched condition but shows no indi- in this species, the elimination of all ex- cation of the larger size or color characters cept geographical variation is difficult, b-4, which might be expected in a cross with every attempt to do so has been ma(le '.i domestic or mallard stock. Probably this the present study. As a result the mean- race has acquired an inherent albinistic 1943] BIRDS OF THE WHITNEY SOUTH SEA EXPEDITION. 52 3 tendency, as have so many other New Zea- occur on the mainland of south New land birds. Guinea, although no measurements seem to have been recorded. A female from Anas superciliosa rogersi Mathews Misima is rather small; perhaps it is im- Anas superciliosa rogersi MATHEWS, 1912, mature, but it is also possible that the Austr. Av. Rec., I, p. 33, Augusta, southwestern smaller race which occurs in north New Australia. Guinea has infiltrated to some extent Ana8s superciliosa percna RILEY, 1919, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XXXII, p. 93, Celebes. around the eastern end of New Guinea. SUBSPECIFIC CHARACTERS.-Differing from In the Oranje, Saruwaged and perhaps superciliosa as noted above; in color similar to other mountains of New Guinea popula- the third race, pelewensi., but larger, with the tions occur intermediate between rogersi wing averaging about 20 mm. longer. RANGE.-Tasmania-0, Australia-37, Su- and pelewensis but distinctly nearer to the matra-3, Java-{, Kangean-3, Lesser Sunda latter and referred to it in this paper (see Ids. (Lombok-1, Timor-2, Savu-3, Sumba- measurements below), although some pre- 1, Sumbawa-0, Flores-0), Celebes-7, Moluc- vious authors have referred them to cas (Buru-1), Arfak Mts., Vogelkop, New Guinea-1, southern coast of New Guinea-0, rogersi. On the other hand, a male taken Louisiade Archipelago (Misima or St. Aignan by Mayr in the Arfak Mountains has the Is.-2). (Figure after localities indicates num- wing length of 260 mm. and represents ber of specimens examined.) rogersi, which has perhaps reached the WING.-Southern (temperate) half of Aus- Vogelkop from Buru. tralia: e 260 (type rogersi), 267, 267, 268; 9 This male is con- 250, 251. Northern (tropical) half of Australia: siderably larger than the maximum of a e 256+, 260, 260, 260?, 261, 264, 266?, 275; 9 series from higher altitudes in the Oranje 249?, 250, 250?, 252, 252, 253, 254. Sumatra: Mountains. e 258; 9 243?, 250. Lombok: e 263? Savu: e 257; 9 250. Sumba: cP 266+. Celebes: ce 260+, 265?, 270; 9 246, 248?- Anas suaperciliosa pelewensis Buru: eP260. Arfak Mts.: o' 260.
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