Newton's parakeet (Psittacula exsul) is an extinct species of parrot that was endemic to the Mascarene island of Rodrigues in the western Indian Ocean. Several of its features diverged from related species, indicating long-term isolation and adaptation on Rodrigues. Around 40 centimetres (16 in) long, Newton's parakeet was roughly the size of the rose-ringed parakeet, a close relative and probable ancestor. Its plumage was mostly greyish or slate blue, although most species in its genus are green. Little is known about its behaviour; it may have fed on nuts of the bois d'olive tree, along with leaves. It was very tame, and was able to mimic speech. Newton's parakeet was first written about by the French Huguenot François Leguat in 1708, and was mentioned only a few times by other writers. The bird became scarce due to deforestation and perhaps hunting, and was probably wiped out by a series of cyclones and storms that hit Rodrigues in the late 19th century. Only two specimens remain, both from the 1870s.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton%27s_parakeet

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1621:

Myles Standish was elected as the first commander of the Plymouth Colony militia, a position he would hold for the rest of his life. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myles_Standish

1859:

The French Navy captured the Citadel of Saigon, a fortress that was manned by 1,000 Nguyễn dynasty soldiers, en route to conquering Saigon and other regions of southern Vietnam. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citadel_of_Saigon

1913:

In the U.S. National Guard's 69th Regiment Armory in New York City, the Armory Show opened, introducing Americans to avant-garde and modern art. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armory_Show

1964:

Gabonese military officers overthrew President Léon M'ba, but France, honoring a 1960 treaty, forcibly reinstated M'ba the next day. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_Gabon_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat

2006:

A massive landslide (damage pictured) in the Philippine province of Southern Leyte killed over 1,000 people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Southern_Leyte_mudslide

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

Sturm und Drang: 1. A proto-Romantic movement in German literature and music which occurred from the late 1760s to the early 1780s, emphasizing individual subjectivity and the free expression of emotions. 2. Turmoil; a period of emotional intensity and anxiety. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Sturm_und_Drang

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

If all things are in common among friends, the most precious is Wisdom. What can Juno give which thou canst not receive from Wisdom? What mayest thou admire in Venus which thou mayest not also contemplate in Wisdom? Her beauty is not small, for the lord of all things taketh delight in her. Her I have loved and diligently sought from my youth up.   --Giordano Bruno https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Giordano_Bruno