Mascarene Petrel

SCI Name:  Pseudobulweria aterrima
Protonym:  Procellaria aterrima Consp.Gen.Av. 2 p.191
Taxonomy:  Procellariiformes / Procellariidae / Pseudobulweria
Taxonomy Code:  maspet1
Type Locality:  Reunion.
Author:  Bonaparte
Publish Year:  1857
IUCN Status:  Critically Endangered

DEFINITIONS

PSEUDOBULWERIA
(Procellariidae; Ϯ MacGillivray's Petrel P. macgillivrayi) Gr. ψευδος pseudos  false; genus Bulweria Bonaparte, 1843, petrel; "It is perhaps unfortunate that this bird was placed in the genus Bulweria, as its significance has thereby been lost.  ...  The tail of macgillivrayi is shorter than the tail of Bulweria, although the bird is larger. In the former the first primary is shorter than the second, while in Bulweria the first primary is the longest. The difference can be considered of generic importance, so I introduce PSEUDOBULWERIA, gen. nov.; type, T. MACGILLIVRAYI Gray.  In Bulweria the wing measurement is less than twice the tail measurement; in Pseudobulweria the wing measurement is more than twice that of the tail" (Mathews 1936).

aterrima / aterrimum / aterrimus
Unattested L. aterrimus  very black, blackest  < super. ater  black.
● ex “Great Black Cockatoo” of Edwards 1764, “Kakatoës noir” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Black Cockatoo” of Latham 1781 (Probosciger).
● ex “Puffinus carbonaria” of Solander MS, and “Bulweria aterrima” of authors (Pseudobulweria).
● ex “Lesser Black Promerops” of Latham 1822 (Rhinopomastus).