The northwestern bulletin., 1923-12-15
30 new VARIETIES
OF BIRDS FOUND
extinct Species" Brought to
New York From the South
Sea Islands.

New York.-More than 10000 speci.
mems Of multi-colored birds from the
South seas, including 30 varieties
hitherto unknown to ornithology, and
many more Of which only one or two
examples had only been vaguely heard
of, arrived In New York recently In
the custody Of Rollo II. Beck, an ex-
perienced naturalist and collector Of
marine birds, who has been cruising
among the islands Of the southern
Pacific for the last three years In
charge Of the Whitney Ornithological
expedition. He has covered 10000
miles and visited nearly 100 islands
In Polynesia and the Marquesas.
This collection, noted for Its scien-
tific value and beauty, now Is In the
Museum Of Natural History here, and
Is being catalogued, appraised and
classified by DR.. Robert @. Murphy,
assistant curator Of birds at the
museum. It win be some time, Doc
tor Murphy told q representative Of
the Christian Science Monitor, before
Mr.. Beck's collection> win be ready for
public exhibition, but 1t is already
obvious, he said, that the specimens
brought back will provide a valuable
addition to pathological data.
Strange Species Found.
One Of the outstanding discoveries
made by Doctor Beck was that envi-
ronment and isolation have a marked
effect on the development Of birds,
both in color markings and in organic
structure. Birds of the same family
discovered on one island were found
to be quite different from those only
few miles away. Very often two
birds of the same genus found on DIFF
ferent islands would differ in size or
their beaks might vary, or the color
markings Of one would be Of a deeper
shade and more pronounced than those
Of the other.
The expedition has brought back
many specimens either totally un-
known up to the present or which have
been studied only from photographs
or written descriptions. For instance
there is Peale's Petrel, discovered by
Titan Peale in 1893 and not seen or
heard of since, of which several speci-
mems were secured by Doctor Beck.
1t is a dark, demure little bird, and
as one turns it In the hand mysterious
green's and blues and brownish blacks
are seen.
The Polynesian sandpiper a small,
pert thing, whose feathers are white.
mottled with a peculiar pale brown,
was up to a few days ago only known
to the world through five carefully
guarded specimens. Doctor Murphy
proudly exhibited nearly half a tray
ful. Doctor Beck also found a rare
variety of cuckoo which, according to
some accounts, is parasitic and lays
its eggs in the nests of the brilliant
fruit pigeons and the sagacious look
ing terms.
"Extinet Birds" Found.
Doctor Murphy pointed out that sew
eral Of the forms discovered by the
whitney expedition had been listed as
extinct birds" during the early years
Of this century. The Christmas
island warbler has never before been
represented In any collection and was
known to ornithologists only through
a description now found to be at fault.
The museum at Turin, Italy, Is the
only collecting agency that has fore
stalled the Natural History museum
In obtaining the fruit pigeon from
Rapa, whose distinguishing feature 10
a crown Of crushed raspberry sur
rounded by q narrow eirciet Of gold.
Il would take q fair-sized book to
describe the splendor and the beauty
Of Doctor Beck's collection. There are
the parrakeets, blazingiy bright; there
Is the red-tailed tropic bird. whose
feathers have q pearly sheen tinted
with a delicate pink glow; green
teals; the blue-sky kingfsher, and the
most striking Of all, the fruit pigeons.
Every color in the rainbow scintillates
from the fruit pigeons In Doctor Muir
phys ofice-moss green. deep, deep
crimson. orange'burnt dark by the sun,
and an endless number Of lilacs,
mauves. and male purples.