1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you Missed in History Class from house 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: stuff Works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: I'm Holly Fry and I'm Tracy V. Wilson. Hey, Tracy, 4 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: have you ever heard of a cat named Tibbles who 5 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: was single handedly responsible or poledly You'll sometimes see it 6 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: written out for wiping out an entire species of bird 7 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 1: because of a lighthousekeeper. Yeah, it shows up on various 8 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 1: listicals from time to time. Along the line you'll see 9 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,199 Speaker 1: like ex animals who change history. It's one of the 10 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 1: most famous extinction stories, and because it has this quaint, 11 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: those sad aspect to it is really taken on a 12 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 1: life of its own, and it's one that gets repeated 13 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: a lot. But the real story is actually a lot 14 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: more complex than simply saying one cat killed all the birds. 15 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: Uh So, today we're gonna take a look at the 16 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: original tale as it's usually told, and then we'll delve 17 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: into the reality of the demise of the bird species 18 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: is involved because the bird did legitimately go extinct, that 19 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: part is true, and it also becomes an interesting story 20 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: of conservation and the importance of protecting both flora and 21 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 1: fauna unique to specific and isolated locations, and there's even 22 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: a little bit of scientific community intrigue and offense in 23 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:19,119 Speaker 1: the mix, so it's got everything for a good story. Also, 24 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: because this does involve extinction and then later ways to 25 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: try to combat similar problems, there's this that's pretty much 26 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:29,759 Speaker 1: a whole episode where we talk about animals being killed. 27 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: So if that is something particularly sensitive to you, this 28 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:36,039 Speaker 1: might not be your episode. I will say this, I 29 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 1: am usually particularly sensitive to it. It does not bother 30 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: me in this context. So I don't know if that's 31 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: your guide post or not, but there you go. Well, 32 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: and having had an outdoor cat from like until approximately 33 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 1: six a long time. But anyway, I grew up with 34 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: an outdoor cat because we lived out in the country 35 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: and that was what you did, and yeah, you become 36 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: accustomed to cats bringing you than Yeah, cats bringing in 37 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: small animals was something that happened all times. So yeah, 38 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 1: we had that growing up, and it is one of 39 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: the reasons my small herd never goes outside. Yeah. Yeah, 40 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 1: my my cats once I was an adult and caring 41 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: for my own cats were strictly indoor, although a couple 42 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: of them did escape on at least one occasion. Yeah. Yeah, 43 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: But Today we're going to talk about the Steven's Island 44 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: rim and this cat and what did it did not happen. 45 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,640 Speaker 1: The particular wren in this story was a tiny bird. 46 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: It could fit in the palm of a human hand, 47 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: and it was found on Steven's Island, which is a 48 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: New Zealand. It's likely that these wrens, known as Xenicus 49 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: traversi at Lale in Latin and sometimes called lyle wrens, 50 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 1: were possibly part of the fauna of ancient Gondwana land 51 00:02:55,280 --> 00:03:00,239 Speaker 1: they were related to the Kiwi. Fossil evidence us that 52 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: these tiny birds are ones that are incredibly closely related 53 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: to them. Once lived throughout New Zealand, and it's believed 54 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 1: that the introduction of predatory species such as rats eliminated 55 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: them from all the other areas of the country but 56 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: Steven's Island, which was isolated by the eighteen nineties. The 57 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: birds were dark olive brown in color, with yellowish color 58 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:24,919 Speaker 1: coloring at the throat and the breast. Skeletal evidence, as 59 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 1: well as witness accounts, indicate that the wren was flightless 60 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:31,960 Speaker 1: that spent its time on the ground hunting for insects 61 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 1: to eat, and that makes it one of only three 62 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 1: known flightless songbirds in the world. The wren's nested in small, 63 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: out of the wayte spots, such as holes and recesses 64 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: under rocks, and it was also believed to have been nocturnal. Yeah. 65 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: I read one account that said that it weighed about 66 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: the same as a quarter, but I didn't find anything 67 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: that backed that up. But even so, it's a very tiny, 68 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: light little thing and sometimes you'll see it. Uh. When 69 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: people described it, they talked about it being almost more 70 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: like a mount than a bird in some ways, probably 71 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: because it's screwed along the ground. The island itself is 72 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 1: also known by its Maori name take Pourdoir, and it 73 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: is a small place. It is less than a square mile. 74 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: That's another one of those things that gets reported very differently. 75 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:18,159 Speaker 1: Some we'll say it's only half square miles, some even 76 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 1: less than that. But we know that it is less 77 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 1: than a square mile, about one point five square kilometers estimate. 78 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: And it sits about two miles off of New Zealand's 79 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:30,359 Speaker 1: South Island's northern shore, at the northern edge of the 80 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:33,599 Speaker 1: Marlboro Sounds. And the weather on the island is mild 81 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 1: in temperatures, but there is frequent rain and often high winds. 82 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,680 Speaker 1: It was renamed Steven's Island after Philip Stevens, the late 83 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 1: eighteenth century first Secretary to the Admiralty of the United Kingdom. 84 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: Prior to the eighteen seventies, it hadn't been explored by 85 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: any Anglo parties. It's unknown if any Maori people's visited 86 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: it prior to that, but it was a pristine place 87 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: in terms of its ecological condition when maritime officials from 88 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:05,599 Speaker 1: New Zealand first visited it, and because the island sits 89 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: on a shipping route and there had been several shipwrecks 90 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: nearby in the middle of the century, it was outfitted 91 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:15,359 Speaker 1: with an oil powered lighthouse in eighteen ninety four. That 92 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:18,839 Speaker 1: lighthouse stood at the highest elevation point above sea level 93 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 1: of any lighthouse in New Zealand at the time. It 94 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 1: was also more powerful than any others in New Zealand 95 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: at that time, and it cost more than nine thousand 96 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 1: pounds to build. Before the lighthouse was installed, to illuminate 97 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:36,840 Speaker 1: the Cooks Straights western approaches, Steven's Island was almost entirely untouched. 98 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: There were no non native species that had been introduced. 99 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: The flora was just natural and unshacked and undeveloped. Well 100 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: into the eighteen hundreds, the tiny island was pretty densely forested. 101 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:53,559 Speaker 1: When workers first arrived in eighteen ninety two to start 102 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: construction on the lighthouse, birds were abundant. The journals of 103 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:00,719 Speaker 1: one of the men, F. W. Ingram, are quoted in 104 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 1: a two thousand four paper about the extinction of the wren. 105 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 1: That paper was written by Ross Galbreath and Derrick Brown, 106 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: and according to Ingram's account, there were two kinds of 107 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: wren saddlebacks, native thrush and native crows on the island 108 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:16,839 Speaker 1: when the work began. There After, the lighthouse and a 109 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: small farm were established, and estimated nine of the island's 110 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:25,600 Speaker 1: native forest was destroyed due to grazing and fire. A 111 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 1: patchy low forest eventually established and remains, and the place 112 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: of the thick forest that had been destroyed and shrubs, 113 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:40,160 Speaker 1: grasses and vine lens uh persisted also. So with this 114 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 1: new fancy lighthouse, the island needed a lighthouse keeper. So 115 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: we are getting now into the story as it's usually told. 116 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,840 Speaker 1: So in David Lyle moved to Stephen's Island to fill 117 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:55,039 Speaker 1: that position, and the island was not easy to get 118 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 1: to Travelers had to cross Cook straight by boat and 119 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 1: then board a basket that was attached of the station's crane, 120 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:03,720 Speaker 1: and after that there was an uphill walk of about 121 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:05,839 Speaker 1: a hundred and eighty meters or a hundred and ninety 122 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:09,159 Speaker 1: six yards to the lighthouse itself. This was a pretty 123 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 1: extreme solitary type position that you would accept. Lyle, his 124 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: wife and a son also brought along a cat named 125 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 1: Tibbles when they moved to Steven's Island. The idea was 126 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:23,679 Speaker 1: that Tibbles would keep the mice at bay and also 127 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 1: be a companion for this lonely outpost. They were not 128 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 1: the island's only residents, actually, but we'll come back to that. 129 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 1: Of course, a good MOUs er such as Tibbles would 130 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:38,760 Speaker 1: also probably be interested in going after small nocturnal birds 131 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 1: as well, especially since Polly said earlier they've been described 132 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 1: as mouse like, but that was never the intention. They 133 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 1: didn't know the purpose bring a cat to kill birds? No, 134 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 1: And usually when you hear this story told, they really 135 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: only talk about David Lyle and Tibbles and his any 136 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: family has kind of left out. But so not long 137 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: after David and Timbles and his family arrived on the island, 138 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 1: the cats started bringing fresh kills to her human Lyle 139 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: was interested in nature, and he was an amateur ornithologist, 140 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 1: and he had never seen a bird quite like the 141 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: ones that Timbles was killing. So he examined them and 142 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: he skinned them as he did too, you know more fully, 143 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: uh take account of what their body was like and 144 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 1: what these birds were. When a ship brought supplies to 145 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 1: the island on its regular bi monthly schedule, Lyle sent 146 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 1: one of his rin skins back on it, intending for 147 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: it to reach a well known ornithologist, Sir Walter Buller. 148 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: It's believed that he did receive this skin sometime in 149 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 1: July four Later on, Beller would write, quote, there is 150 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 1: probably nothing so refreshing to the soul of a naturalist 151 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 1: as the discovery of a new species. You will readily 152 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 1: understand therefore, how pleased I was at receiving the skin 153 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: of a bird from Stephen Island, which was entirely distinct 154 00:08:54,400 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: from anything hitherto known. Eventually, Lyle collected ten say apples 155 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 1: that number is going to shift around when we get 156 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:04,080 Speaker 1: to the reality. But for the purposes of this story, 157 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: ten samples from Tibbles offering and they were in good 158 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: condition because the cat seemed to be more interested in 159 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 1: killing the birds than she wasn't eating them. Uh. Feline 160 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 1: behaviorists might also suggest that she was bringing them to 161 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:19,320 Speaker 1: Lyle as a means of offering him provisions showing she 162 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:21,080 Speaker 1: could take care of him as well as herself. They 163 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: are also theories that cats do that to try to 164 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 1: teach us stupid humans how to find our own food. 165 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 1: But in any case, she was not eating them, so 166 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:31,360 Speaker 1: they were in quite good condition. After he had been 167 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:34,960 Speaker 1: examining these various specimens, Buller realized that the birds Lyle 168 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 1: had been collecting from tibbles were a previously unidentified species 169 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:42,559 Speaker 1: of wren. So one of these Buller sent to London 170 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:45,440 Speaker 1: to the British Ornithologists Union so it could be illustrated, 171 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:49,200 Speaker 1: and he also was preparing his research and findings so 172 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 1: that he could publish his discovery of the Steven's Island 173 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 1: wren in the journal IBIS. It was believed that there 174 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 1: had likely been ten mating pairs of the wren on 175 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: Steven's Island before Tipple the cat got there. It's not 176 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:05,080 Speaker 1: a large number of birds to be sure, so it 177 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: would not really take very long for an enterprising cat 178 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: with decent hunting skills to severely damage those numbers in 179 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 1: just a year after Lyle and his cat had arrived 180 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:21,560 Speaker 1: on the island. The christ Church Press commented on tibbles 181 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 1: work quote, there is very good reason to believe that 182 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: the bird is no longer to be found on this island, 183 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 1: as it is not known to exist anywhere else. It 184 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 1: has apparently become quite extinct. This is probably a record 185 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 1: performance in the way of extermination, and according to legend, 186 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 1: Tibbles wiped out the Stevens Island ran almost as soon 187 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 1: as it was recognized as a newly discovered species. So 188 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:49,880 Speaker 1: that's the story that you usually get told in a 189 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:53,200 Speaker 1: quickie articles ship or in like a one sentence throw 190 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:56,560 Speaker 1: a throwaway line in the context of something completely different. 191 00:10:56,559 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 1: It will be like and there will be even an 192 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 1: entire species of bird killed of the line keeper's cat. Yeah, 193 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 1: but there is a lot more to this story. And 194 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 1: before we dive into that bigger, more detailed version of 195 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: what happened to the Steven's Island wren, We're gonna pause 196 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:17,200 Speaker 1: and have a word from one of our sponsors. While 197 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 1: the story of Tibbles and the Stephen's Island. Wren is 198 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: a cautionary tale about the dangers of invasive species, and 199 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:26,720 Speaker 1: that is a very legitimate concern. The very simplified version 200 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,880 Speaker 1: that is normally shared leaves out some more complex and 201 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:33,360 Speaker 1: nuanced elements to the decline of one species due to 202 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 1: the import of another, as well as the involvement of 203 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 1: many more players in the narrative, as we are definitely 204 00:11:39,880 --> 00:11:46,200 Speaker 1: not now playing the threat of invasive species, but that 205 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: there's a bigger story going on here. During the construction 206 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 1: period for the lighthouse, an anonymous collector had visited the 207 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 1: island to gather specimens. Galbreth and Brown put forth the 208 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 1: theory in their paper that a collector, which is a 209 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 1: pseudonym used by that person in question when publishing in 210 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 1: the Wellington Evening Post, was in fact none other than 211 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 1: the local natural history dealer, which was a man named 212 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 1: Henry H. Travers, and before Lyle and Tibbles even set 213 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 1: foot on the island, Sir Walter Buller was aware of 214 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: the number of birds to be found there, most likely 215 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:26,680 Speaker 1: due to the accounts that the collector had published in 216 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: the paper or through contact with Travers himself. Of note, however, 217 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:35,079 Speaker 1: no wren was actually mentioned in the writings of the Collector. 218 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:37,120 Speaker 1: I also just love that he wrote as the Collector, 219 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:39,680 Speaker 1: because of course there's the whole Guardians of the Galaxy 220 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: comedy tie in that we could do. Um. But he 221 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:44,400 Speaker 1: had not mentioned the rant at all in any of 222 00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 1: these writings. Uh. And there were no mentions of a 223 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: wren in the comments of Buller at a January three 224 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 1: meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society, where he discussed some 225 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:57,840 Speaker 1: of the unique birds that could be found on Steven's Island. 226 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:02,000 Speaker 1: Buller also suggests it at that meeting that two other 227 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:06,080 Speaker 1: New Zealand islands, Resolution Island and Little Barrier Island, could 228 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 1: be used as preservation grounds for some of the bird 229 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 1: species that were experiencing population decline on the mainland, but 230 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:17,600 Speaker 1: it appears that no similar consideration was given to Steven's Island. 231 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:21,240 Speaker 1: Regarding david Lyle and Tibbles, we mentioned a few moments 232 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 1: ago that they were not the only ones who had 233 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 1: moved on to the island. In fact, there were three 234 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:28,760 Speaker 1: lighthouse keepers and their families, as well as a teacher 235 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:32,600 Speaker 1: to see to the children's education, seventeen people in all 236 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:35,080 Speaker 1: at the start of eighteen ninety four, when the lighthouse 237 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: became operational while Lyle was sending his samples to Buller. 238 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:42,960 Speaker 1: At some point Henry Travers also became aware of the 239 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 1: unique items being relayed by Lyle through an intermediary aboard 240 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:51,520 Speaker 1: the supply ship. Travers and Buller were not unknown to 241 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 1: each other as a dealer in natural items. Travers had 242 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 1: done business with Buller on a number of occasions, and 243 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 1: Travers spelt as though rare and unique specimens could be 244 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:06,280 Speaker 1: sold for more than Buller was able to pay, he 245 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 1: convinced Lyle to sell him some of the wrens skins. Yeah, so, 246 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:14,559 Speaker 1: in addition to whatever activities are happening, we are now 247 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:18,600 Speaker 1: seeing an uptick in human interest in these birds. Uh. 248 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 1: And this is where yet another man enters the picture, 249 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 1: the Honorable Walter Rothschild, who had dealt with both Travers 250 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 1: and Buller as specimen dealers prior to this new discovery 251 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 1: of the Steven's Island wren and as a wealthy Englishman, 252 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 1: Rothschild had both the means to pay handsomely for rare 253 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:40,920 Speaker 1: specimens and the connections to publish information about them before 254 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 1: Buller could. There actually was some realization among the British 255 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 1: ornithologists involved in publishing the IBIS and the British Ornithologist 256 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 1: Club Proceedings periodical to which Rothschild, to which Rothschild's research 257 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: had been presented, that there were two men describing the 258 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 1: same five but both went to press yes, so for clarity. 259 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 1: At this point, Traverse has started selling to a very 260 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 1: rich person in London Rothschild. At the same time Buller 261 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:13,440 Speaker 1: is also purchasing these samples and they are writing up 262 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:16,480 Speaker 1: about this newly discovered species. And they both presented to 263 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 1: both the IBIS and the British Ornithologist Club's proceedings, just 264 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 1: their little periodical, their notes on their meetings, and that's 265 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:25,160 Speaker 1: a small enough group that there were a lot of 266 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:27,800 Speaker 1: crossover people going, hey, we don't we have a thing 267 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 1: from that guy Buller about this. Yeah, but we're going 268 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 1: forward with this too. So uh. They both published and 269 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:39,760 Speaker 1: it was a little bit of a gentleman's drama. So 270 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: Rothschild named the rend traversia really in the Proceedings that 271 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 1: was published in December of eight. When Buller's paper came 272 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 1: out in April of the bird was called Xenicus in Solaris, 273 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 1: and this entire chain of events caused massive friction between 274 00:15:56,920 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 1: the two men, each declaring that the other had not 275 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 1: been a gentle woman. You may recall from the beginning 276 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 1: when we talked about the bird that it is called 277 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: xenicus and then sometimes traversia in parentheses. Really, so in 278 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:11,920 Speaker 1: the end there was sort of a combining of the 279 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:15,000 Speaker 1: two in the scientific community. This is like a much 280 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: smaller in every sense of the word version of the 281 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:22,880 Speaker 1: bone wars. Yes. But even before Buller's paper, which was 282 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 1: printed by ibis that editorial from the christ Church Press 283 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 1: we mentioned earlier that declared the ren likely extinct had 284 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:34,480 Speaker 1: already come out. So there was already an article saying 285 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: the bird was probably extinct before the scientific paper on it. Yeah, 286 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:44,440 Speaker 1: so there was the first printed stuff in December. In 287 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 1: March that article came out in the christ Church Paper 288 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 1: saying there are no more of these birds. And then 289 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 1: in April Buller's paper was published saying I've discovered a 290 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 1: new kind of bird. Uh, it's a it's a very 291 00:16:57,120 --> 00:17:01,920 Speaker 1: complex and tightly packed timeline in terms of like discovery 292 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 1: and when this bird was thought to have ended. So 293 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:08,159 Speaker 1: in March of Traverse wrote to Rothschild a letter that 294 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:12,959 Speaker 1: suggested that he was hunting rends himself to send to London. Quote. 295 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:16,040 Speaker 1: I have recently returned from a special trip to Steven's Island, 296 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 1: where I went to have a good hunt for more 297 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:22,959 Speaker 1: specimens of Traversia really, but unfortunately without success. I hunted 298 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:25,520 Speaker 1: the island over and round, and as I had three 299 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:27,800 Speaker 1: men with me who formed my boat crew and some 300 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:30,280 Speaker 1: of the residents of the island, you can imagine we 301 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:33,399 Speaker 1: made a thorough search. I did not get any specimens 302 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:36,479 Speaker 1: of the bird. I went specifically four, although Mr Lyle's 303 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:38,639 Speaker 1: boy gave me a specimen that had been found just 304 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:41,160 Speaker 1: alive by the owner of the cat that had caught 305 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 1: the others, and this his father had put into spirit. 306 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:47,680 Speaker 1: So at that point humans are also hunting the bird. 307 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 1: That claim of extinction in early may have been premature. 308 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:57,040 Speaker 1: For one. Traverse seems to have used the news of 309 00:17:57,080 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 1: the extinction to charge higher prices for the preserved bird 310 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:05,080 Speaker 1: specimens that he offered to collectors after that. So he 311 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:08,240 Speaker 1: might have been perpetuating this claim of extinction for his 312 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 1: own financial gain. Yeah. If you look at how his 313 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 1: prices rated that first one that he sent to Rothschild, 314 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:17,639 Speaker 1: I think he charged five pounds four and then he 315 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:20,920 Speaker 1: tried to charge thirty five pounds four and was eventually 316 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:24,360 Speaker 1: talked down to twelve if I'm remembering correctly, so he 317 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:26,119 Speaker 1: was definitely like, there are no more of this bird. 318 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:30,720 Speaker 1: It is a lot more expensive now. But both Travers 319 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:35,400 Speaker 1: and Buller each received additional specimens for several years after. 320 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:42,199 Speaker 1: So even after he denounced personal collecting of endangered spec specimens, 321 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 1: Buller continued to seek out the Steven's Island wren for himself. 322 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:48,200 Speaker 1: And when I say that, I mean in specimen form, 323 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:52,320 Speaker 1: not live Steven's Island wrens. He also made purchases for 324 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:54,680 Speaker 1: his son to have them, as well as at least 325 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:58,639 Speaker 1: one other ornithologist, and Buller, for the record, maintained in 326 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: his notes that all sam bowls of the bird had 327 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 1: come from David Lyle, and thus that would be from 328 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:06,360 Speaker 1: his cat. But that gets into some weird issues, as 329 00:19:06,359 --> 00:19:09,040 Speaker 1: there are specimens in museums that are labeled as late 330 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:12,879 Speaker 1: as eighteen nine, well after Lyle had actually moved on 331 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:17,880 Speaker 1: from the Steven's Island Lighthouse job. Additionally, there are completely 332 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,320 Speaker 1: mismatched accounts of just how many preserved rends there are 333 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:24,879 Speaker 1: floating around. If you compare the records and letters of 334 00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:27,680 Speaker 1: Travers and Buller things do not match up at all. 335 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 1: Travers was still selling Steven's Island rens into the early 336 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:35,159 Speaker 1: nineteen hundreds, but it's unclear whether those were items that 337 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:38,159 Speaker 1: he had been hanging onto for several years or if 338 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:42,399 Speaker 1: they were new acquisitions. Additionally, even those records might not 339 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:45,800 Speaker 1: truly reflect the lots that Travers was selling at the time, 340 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:48,520 Speaker 1: so there's no way to verify even the existence of 341 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:52,840 Speaker 1: Travers stock of the extinct bird, let alone its condition 342 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:56,920 Speaker 1: relative to its age. Yeah, there's one story of a 343 00:19:57,040 --> 00:20:00,320 Speaker 1: museum that discovered that they had a lot that someone 344 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 1: had purchased, uh from Travers, but it was largely destroyed. 345 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 1: It had not been properly cared for, so they did 346 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:08,160 Speaker 1: not account for whether or not there was a wren 347 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:10,920 Speaker 1: in the mix. There. Uh, there's a lot of not 348 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 1: really fantastic record keeping, which leads to a lot of 349 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:18,400 Speaker 1: the nebulous aspects of this story. So the thing is, though, 350 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:21,080 Speaker 1: that collecting may have really had a significant hand in 351 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:25,160 Speaker 1: the extinction of the Stevens Island wren, but we don't 352 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,240 Speaker 1: actually know if Travers ever managed to catch any the 353 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:30,359 Speaker 1: two times that he claimed he tried the one that 354 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:32,960 Speaker 1: we read his writings about earlier, and there was one 355 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:35,439 Speaker 1: other time. He reported that he failed on both of 356 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:41,280 Speaker 1: those occasions. And there are additional factors to remember. Earlier, 357 00:20:41,359 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 1: when we mentioned that there were other people who moved 358 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:47,800 Speaker 1: to the island in addition to David Lyle and Tibbles, 359 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 1: apparently someone else in that group of people also brought 360 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:55,720 Speaker 1: at least one other cat, or possibly Tibbles was pregnant 361 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 1: when she arrived, because within a few years there was 362 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:03,600 Speaker 1: a cat population on Steven's Island, not just one cat. 363 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:07,199 Speaker 1: And it's also possible that the name Timbles was just 364 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 1: attached to the story later it wasn't even Lyle's cat 365 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:13,000 Speaker 1: in the first place, but just a cat that happened 366 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:17,400 Speaker 1: to be around. Yeah, it's it's like I said, it's 367 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:20,399 Speaker 1: been simplified in a really fun way to tell, but 368 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:23,240 Speaker 1: it doesn't necessarily reflect the reality. And we're going to 369 00:21:23,359 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 1: talk more about the cats on Steven's Island and what 370 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:28,440 Speaker 1: happened to all those bird bodies after we first take 371 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 1: a little sponsor break. So right before we went to break, 372 00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:40,200 Speaker 1: Tracy was saying that there was a cat population at 373 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:42,920 Speaker 1: some point on the island and it's unclear when exactly 374 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:46,159 Speaker 1: it became more than one cat, or if it had 375 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:48,800 Speaker 1: always been more than one cat. There are mentions of 376 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:51,960 Speaker 1: other cats in notes and writings made by people about 377 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 1: those early days of the lighthouse community, but these are 378 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:57,240 Speaker 1: all anecdotal and they were written after the facts, so 379 00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:02,399 Speaker 1: they're not especially reliable. As early is though, Lyle was 380 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 1: writing notes to Buller about the available birds on the island, 381 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:09,160 Speaker 1: and he specifically references some of them being scarce due 382 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 1: to cats plural. He also describes those cats as having 383 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 1: become wild, so there was already the beginning of a 384 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:20,440 Speaker 1: feral population, like a year after he had arrived. By seven, 385 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:24,240 Speaker 1: the cat population was noted by a lighthousekeeper as being 386 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:29,280 Speaker 1: a quote large number. The report that description was included 387 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:33,159 Speaker 1: in also suggested that some means of destroying the cats 388 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:36,119 Speaker 1: had to be found a few years later, in nineteen 389 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:39,760 Speaker 1: o one, the native reptile population was also in danger, 390 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: and a bounty was established on the cats. At that 391 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:45,159 Speaker 1: point they were kind of like, well, the birds are 392 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:48,440 Speaker 1: already gone, so we'll figure this out. And it got 393 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:50,600 Speaker 1: put off with them, and then they were like, there 394 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:54,359 Speaker 1: was a very glorious reptile population on Steven's Island, and 395 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:56,840 Speaker 1: they were like, Okay, we can't let this happen again. 396 00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:59,760 Speaker 1: Now we have to kill the cats, which sucks. The 397 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 1: enemy of the webcomic Camp we don't watch. I don't 398 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:04,919 Speaker 1: know if you've ever read that, but it is a 399 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:08,360 Speaker 1: camp about about children who have been sent by their 400 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:11,240 Speaker 1: parents to this camp because they are not wanted for 401 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:14,359 Speaker 1: whatever reason. And one of the early strips there is 402 00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:16,399 Speaker 1: what everyone thinks is going to be a food drop, 403 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:18,480 Speaker 1: but it turns out to be a box full of 404 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:23,160 Speaker 1: feral cats. And every uh, every installment of the strip 405 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:31,600 Speaker 1: after that has a cat hidden somewhere. So in five, 406 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:35,040 Speaker 1: this was four years after the cat bounty was established, 407 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:39,080 Speaker 1: Sir Walter Bueller made a written suggestion that cats should 408 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:41,760 Speaker 1: no longer ever be allowed on the island or on 409 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:45,560 Speaker 1: any other isolated islands where native species could fall victim 410 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 1: to their prey drive. And he also included the suggestion 411 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:50,920 Speaker 1: that if mice were a concern, for example, if people 412 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:52,719 Speaker 1: were going to take care of the lighthouse and they 413 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 1: were worried about mice, that the state should provide, at 414 00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:59,720 Speaker 1: state expense, mouse traps rather than allow feline rodent management 415 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:05,400 Speaker 1: in such places. Over the course of more than two decades, 416 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:08,680 Speaker 1: hundreds of cats were shot on Steven's Island, and in 417 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:12,480 Speaker 1: nineteen twenty five the island was declared to be free 418 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:18,159 Speaker 1: of cats. So, even though it is not really entirely 419 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:21,160 Speaker 1: fair to blame tibbles were ending the Steven's Island wren 420 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:24,440 Speaker 1: the role of cats in shifting the balance of wildlife 421 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 1: populations is one which has been debated for some time, 422 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 1: and cats most assuredly were responsible for the majority of 423 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:34,080 Speaker 1: the deaths of those birds, and they were threatening other 424 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:37,119 Speaker 1: native wildlife on the island after those wrens were gone. 425 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:42,919 Speaker 1: According to a study published in Nature, free ranging domestic 426 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:46,520 Speaker 1: cats in the United States were estimated to kill one 427 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:50,879 Speaker 1: point three to four billion birds that's billion with a B, 428 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:56,560 Speaker 1: and six point three to twenty two point three billion, 429 00:24:56,840 --> 00:25:00,720 Speaker 1: also with a B mammals annually. For the purposes of 430 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:04,119 Speaker 1: that study, domestic cats included both cats that have a 431 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:08,159 Speaker 1: home but are allowed to roam and strays including ferrells, 432 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:11,960 Speaker 1: with homeless cats responsible for most of those kills. That 433 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:15,000 Speaker 1: same study also commented that quote free range and cats 434 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:18,880 Speaker 1: on islands has caused or contributed to thirty three or 435 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:22,920 Speaker 1: fourteen percent of the modern bird mammal and reptile extinctions 436 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 1: recorded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. 437 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:32,760 Speaker 1: Humans are still trying to figure out how to manage 438 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 1: cap populations in ways that are humane in order to 439 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 1: curtail the unbalanced mortality and other species that can result 440 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:43,760 Speaker 1: from even well fed but still prey driven animals. While cats, 441 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:46,240 Speaker 1: as we discussed on an older episode, have become part 442 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:49,280 Speaker 1: of human culture both for their excellent pest hunting skills 443 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:52,240 Speaker 1: as well as their companionship, they are also very very 444 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:55,600 Speaker 1: good at multiplying at a really rapid rate, so efforts 445 00:25:55,640 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 1: to find and execute a solution still continue. As an assist, 446 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:04,320 Speaker 1: it appears to have been Rothschild's account of the entire 447 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 1: situation that first pinned the loss of the entire species 448 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:12,320 Speaker 1: on tibbles, and then that was repeated for simplicity for 449 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:16,640 Speaker 1: more than a hundred years. Yeah, and Rothschild this whole time, 450 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:18,639 Speaker 1: we should point out, was in London. It wasn't like 451 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:21,159 Speaker 1: he was on the scene. He wrote this after the 452 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:24,160 Speaker 1: fact and having never actually been to the place where 453 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:27,199 Speaker 1: this was taking place. And as for what happened to 454 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:29,560 Speaker 1: all of those deceased birds that were collected on the 455 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:33,280 Speaker 1: tiny Island. There are fifteen rent specimens accounted for, and 456 00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:36,960 Speaker 1: those have made their way into museum collections around the world. 457 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:41,000 Speaker 1: Of the samples Rothschild gathered, the Natural History Museum in 458 00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:44,360 Speaker 1: London has three, the Museum of Natural History in New 459 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:48,520 Speaker 1: York has four, the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia 460 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:52,000 Speaker 1: has one, and the Museum of Comparative Zoology in Cambridge, 461 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 1: Massachusetts has one. The three that Buller had, one for 462 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:58,960 Speaker 1: himself and two for his son, are in the Canterbury 463 00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 1: Museum Christer, which has too, and the last is in 464 00:27:03,359 --> 00:27:08,359 Speaker 1: the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh. There are also Steven's Island 465 00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:12,320 Speaker 1: ren specimens at the Colonial Museum now the Museum of 466 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:16,879 Speaker 1: New Zealand. To Papa Tongarewa, I am probably mispronouncing that 467 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:19,680 Speaker 1: I could not find a good pronunciation example which is 468 00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:23,480 Speaker 1: in Wellington's and the Otago Museum in Dunedin, and that 469 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:27,439 Speaker 1: one actually lists two, but only one is is clearly 470 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,600 Speaker 1: accounted for, so there's a little bit of fuzzy fuzziness 471 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:34,359 Speaker 1: there as well. The Stevens Island Lighthouse still exists. It 472 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:37,320 Speaker 1: was converted from oil to electric in the late nineteen 473 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:40,200 Speaker 1: thirties and then was automated in the late nineteen eighties. 474 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 1: In nine, the last lighthouse keeper left the island. It's 475 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:47,680 Speaker 1: not open to the public and the Maritime New Zealand's 476 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:54,240 Speaker 1: Wellington Office conducts operation and monitoring of the lighthouse remotely. Uh. Yeah, 477 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:56,320 Speaker 1: if you want to go to the island, you're probably 478 00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:59,879 Speaker 1: a scientist because there are still multiple rare species on 479 00:27:59,920 --> 00:28:02,800 Speaker 1: the island, particularly what has been described by scientists as 480 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:07,400 Speaker 1: diverse reptile community. It is now a nature reserve. For example, 481 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:10,960 Speaker 1: a reptile called the tatata is of particular import on 482 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:14,760 Speaker 1: Steven's Island as it is the only surviving species of 483 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:17,760 Speaker 1: its order. They are also the cutest things in my opinion. 484 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:20,080 Speaker 1: You see pictures of that. They just have very cute, 485 00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 1: little expressive faces. I saw some videos of one. Apparently 486 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:30,520 Speaker 1: there was a reintroduction effort yeah with them, and I 487 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:34,000 Speaker 1: as I was looking for examples, I was like, I 488 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:38,280 Speaker 1: was looking for videos of New Zealander saying all these words. Uh. 489 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:40,480 Speaker 1: And then I got down a rabbit hole of looking 490 00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:46,160 Speaker 1: at lizards videos. They're really cute. Uh. And it really 491 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:49,479 Speaker 1: has become New Zealand is really making a massive effort 492 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:52,760 Speaker 1: at conservation and the part of in part this whole 493 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:56,040 Speaker 1: episode is is the driver of some of those those efforts, 494 00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 1: Like people realized, oh, if we are not thoughtful about 495 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: how we will particularly these small islands that are harboring 496 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:05,720 Speaker 1: things that cannot be found anywhere else and are small 497 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:08,720 Speaker 1: in number, we will then make sure those never exist 498 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:10,240 Speaker 1: on the earth again. And we don't want that. So 499 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 1: there there is a lot of care going into trying 500 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:17,520 Speaker 1: to preserve native species. So that is the more complicated 501 00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:20,000 Speaker 1: than just tipples the cat eat all the birds version 502 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:24,960 Speaker 1: of how the Stephen's Island ran went extinct, although cats 503 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:27,239 Speaker 1: were responsible for a lot of it. I sounded a 504 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:29,200 Speaker 1: lot more chipper when I said, yeah, then the story 505 00:29:29,240 --> 00:29:37,280 Speaker 1: actually lawrants. Uh yeah, so only in museums now in 506 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:41,240 Speaker 1: their deceased form, unfortunately. Yes, um, do you also have 507 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:44,840 Speaker 1: listener mail? I do. I have two pieces. The first 508 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 1: is from our listener, Stephanie. It is also related to 509 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 1: nature things. She says, Hello, ladies, I just wanted to 510 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:53,920 Speaker 1: drop you a quick note and let you know about 511 00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 1: a weird coincidence and another example of Maria Cebuia Marion's 512 00:29:57,840 --> 00:30:00,800 Speaker 1: Rising Star. I was just an end or I'm writing 513 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:03,040 Speaker 1: this on the plane home to Canada actually, where there 514 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:06,840 Speaker 1: is currently an exhibit of Maria's work at Holyrood House 515 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:10,840 Speaker 1: in the Queen's Gallery. The exhibit is called Maria Marian's Butterflies, 516 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 1: and I was able to see a number of beautiful 517 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 1: works by both her and her daughters. And the episode 518 00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:17,800 Speaker 1: actually came out the day I went to the exhibit. 519 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:20,440 Speaker 1: Unfortunately I did not see the episode until the plane 520 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:22,600 Speaker 1: rite home. But I really appreciate the context you were 521 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 1: able to provide significantly more in depth than the galleries placards. 522 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:30,080 Speaker 1: If anybody happens to be in Edinburgh, that exhibit runs 523 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 1: until I believe it is July, and it looks really 524 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:36,000 Speaker 1: really beautiful, so please go if you get a chance. 525 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 1: And it's always fun and cool when things kind of 526 00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:41,600 Speaker 1: coincidentally happened that way. Uh. And my next piece of 527 00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:44,200 Speaker 1: listener mail is a gift that Tracy doesn't know about yet. 528 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:46,760 Speaker 1: So I always like surprising her with us since I'm 529 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:50,120 Speaker 1: here in the office where things come, where parcels come to, 530 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:52,600 Speaker 1: and she is not. I get too often, you know, 531 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:54,600 Speaker 1: spring him on her well, and we when you when 532 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:57,000 Speaker 1: you said it was a surprise, I had this giant 533 00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:00,720 Speaker 1: mouthful of coffee. It was almost disastrous. It's not a 534 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:04,560 Speaker 1: it's not a spit take surprise, but it's a nice treat. Uh. 535 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:07,520 Speaker 1: It's from our cool listener, Michelle. Is this Tracy and Holly. 536 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:09,840 Speaker 1: Thank you guys so much for putting on an amazing podcast. 537 00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:11,960 Speaker 1: I'm a Louisville native and I was so excited to 538 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:14,520 Speaker 1: see a podcast on the Derby pop up. I'm also 539 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:16,640 Speaker 1: so glad that you don't skip over the bad parts 540 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:19,000 Speaker 1: or lesser known facts, as I had no clue about 541 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:21,600 Speaker 1: the racism that happened in the sport of horse racing 542 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 1: despite its checkered history. I hope you'll both accept these 543 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:27,920 Speaker 1: mint Juelip glasses from this year's Derby. So we got 544 00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:30,880 Speaker 1: mint Julip glasses and they're really cute and she's some 545 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:34,040 Speaker 1: sort of male sorceress because they came in perfect condition 546 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:36,000 Speaker 1: and they are glass and that does not always happen. 547 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:38,680 Speaker 1: So thank you, Thank you, Michelle. Good job on the packing. 548 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:41,280 Speaker 1: The Derby in Louisville is so much more than just 549 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:44,000 Speaker 1: a horse race. Events rained from a massive fireworks show 550 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:47,240 Speaker 1: to bed races, the Pegasus Parade and a marathon and 551 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:49,240 Speaker 1: so much more. If you all get the chance I 552 00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:51,480 Speaker 1: hope you will take the opportunity to explore a beautiful 553 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:53,800 Speaker 1: city and all we have to offer. Thanks for making 554 00:31:53,800 --> 00:31:55,920 Speaker 1: my commute so much easier. Thank you so much, Michelle, 555 00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:58,920 Speaker 1: that was so sweet to send us those. They're very cute. 556 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:02,560 Speaker 1: They're really really lovely little glasses. So um, I love it. 557 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:04,800 Speaker 1: We get so many amazing gifts. I feel bad. Like 558 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:06,520 Speaker 1: I said, I always say, I feel bad that we 559 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:09,040 Speaker 1: can't read every single thing on the air, because it 560 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:11,240 Speaker 1: would be several days of just us droning on and 561 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:14,400 Speaker 1: people would probably tune out. Yes, I would also like 562 00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:19,840 Speaker 1: to say we have become even worse about answering our email. 563 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:26,120 Speaker 1: And previously, yeah we had a D minus for sure. 564 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:30,760 Speaker 1: Yeah we we had a change in the way we 565 00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:34,080 Speaker 1: access our email at work that for both of us 566 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:37,880 Speaker 1: has made it harder to stay on top of So 567 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:41,840 Speaker 1: we still read all the emails. We are so sorry 568 00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:46,320 Speaker 1: that we don't answer more of them. Ye. Yes, I 569 00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:48,640 Speaker 1: feel bad. So I don't think you're shouting into the 570 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:52,920 Speaker 1: void when you communicate with us. Uh, we we are 571 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:55,400 Speaker 1: the people the only people reading our email. I always 572 00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:57,440 Speaker 1: laugh when people say, well, the team, make sure Tracy 573 00:32:57,480 --> 00:33:01,080 Speaker 1: and Holly see this like an email, like we are 574 00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:04,000 Speaker 1: the team. That's it. This is the two of us 575 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:07,200 Speaker 1: well and someone totally seeing. I know everyone does this, 576 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:09,200 Speaker 1: but the thing that kind that hurts my heart the 577 00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:11,840 Speaker 1: most is that we will get really moving emails that 578 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:15,400 Speaker 1: we we intend to answer and need to stop and 579 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:18,880 Speaker 1: reflect on before we can, and then we'll get eighty 580 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:23,040 Speaker 1: more emails and like not get back to that one, 581 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:27,320 Speaker 1: and then I then I get very sad about it. 582 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:29,720 Speaker 1: To lighten the mood and quote Philip J. Fry, time 583 00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:33,240 Speaker 1: makes fools of us all um. So so that is 584 00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:35,680 Speaker 1: a scoop. It is never because we wish to be neglectful, 585 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:39,800 Speaker 1: but just know that it's the two of us trying 586 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:43,440 Speaker 1: to get through everything, and it's it's a pretty mammoth task. 587 00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:46,680 Speaker 1: We do our best. It's not always fantastic anyway. If 588 00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:48,400 Speaker 1: you would like to write to us though having heard 589 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:50,680 Speaker 1: us say all of this, you can do so at 590 00:33:50,680 --> 00:33:53,200 Speaker 1: a history podcast at House of Works dot com. You 591 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:55,640 Speaker 1: can also find us across the spectrum of social media 592 00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:59,000 Speaker 1: as Missed in History. That means on Instagram, on Twitter, 593 00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:03,720 Speaker 1: at Facebook, on Tumbler, and on Pinterest. If you would 594 00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:05,520 Speaker 1: like to come to our website that has Missed in 595 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:08,080 Speaker 1: history dot com. We have every episode of the show 596 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:11,319 Speaker 1: ever of all time, and then show notes for any 597 00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:13,520 Speaker 1: of the episodes that Tracy and I have worked on together. 598 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:18,080 Speaker 1: They consolidated recently onto the same page as the show page, 599 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:19,879 Speaker 1: so you don't have to click to places to get 600 00:34:19,880 --> 00:34:22,440 Speaker 1: your notes in your show. Uh. And you can visit 601 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:24,840 Speaker 1: our parents site, which is how stuff Works, and there 602 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:26,919 Speaker 1: you can type in anything you wish to learn about 603 00:34:26,920 --> 00:34:28,759 Speaker 1: in the search bar and you will get an abundance 604 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:31,279 Speaker 1: of information. So please come and visit us at how 605 00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:38,279 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com and missed in history dot com. 606 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:40,799 Speaker 1: For more on this and thousands of other topics, visit 607 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:50,360 Speaker 1: how staff works dot com.