Cryptopsar, Hume, Julian Pender, 2014

Hume, Julian Pender, 2014, Systematics, morphology, and ecological history of the Mascarene starlings (Aves: Sturnidae) with the description of a new genus and species from Mauritius, Zootaxa 3849 (1), pp. 1-75 : 51-52

Genus Cryptopsar gen. nov.

Type species: Cryptopsar ischyrhynchus sp. nov.

Etymology. Greek kryptós, hidden, concealed, and psar, starling, in reference to the bones of this species being hidden in a museum drawer for over 100 years, concealing the evidence of a third species of sturnid on the Mascarenes. The gender is masculine.

Diagnosis. Cryptopsar is distinguished from other Mascarene sturnids by the following suite of characters:

Cranium: crista nuchalis transversus oval-shaped and narrow; tuba audivita communis deeply excavated; processus paroccipitalis elevated, enhancing depression below; lamina parasphenoidalis slightly excavated.

Rostrum: sharp and decurved; os nasale narrow.

Mandible: in dorsal view, rostrum mandibulae deeply excavated; processus mandibulae medialis inflected posteriorly and sharply pointed; in lateral view, processus retroarticularis extremely long and distinctly triangular; single, small fenestra rostralis mandibulae; articular ends comparatively shallow.

Coracoid: comparatively gracile.

Humerus: gracile; shaft curved; tuberculum ventrale small; two tricipital fossae; tricipital fossa II not completely enclosed and separated from tricipital fossa I by medial bar; tricipital fossa I open distally communicating with tricipital fossa II; processus supracondylaris dorsalis reduced, with little proximal extension; crista deltopectoralis reduced, shallow in dorsal view.

Ulna : impressio brachialis deeply excavated; olecranon prominent.

Carpometacarpus: processus extensorius reduced.

Femur: facies articularis acetabularis deflected slightly proximad; linea internus cranialis distinctly ridged; sulcus patellaris deeply excavated; in caudal aspect, deep excavation distal to facies articularis acetabularis.

Tibiotarsus: tuberculum retinaculi m. fibularis distinct; crista lateralis cranialis distinctally hooked; pons supratendineus narrow with deep canalis extensorius.

Tarsometatarsus: comparatively short and robust; trochleae expanded; no bridge linking impressiones retinaculi extensorii; crista medialis hypotarsi not expanded distally; on proximal end, cotyla medialis projects dorsad; foramen vasculare distale extends proximad; distinct ridge on facies dorsalis; fossa metatarsi I with increased proximal extension and distinct medial ridge; in ventral view, trochlea metatarsi III wide and indistinctly larger than trochlea metatarsi II; fossa parahypotarsalis medialis forms a distinct groove.

Remarks. Rothschild (1907b:6), followed by Hachisuka (1953: 204), were convinced that Necropsar (Orphanopsar) leguati could not have occurred on Rodrigues alongside N. rodericanus ( contra Forbes 1898 ), so its provenance must have been Mauritius. They completely erred in this context, but were inadvertently correct in the fact that a species of starling, closely related to Necropsar and Fregilupus , did once occur on Mauritius.