Illustration of the Mauritius blue pigeon (Alectroenas nitidissimus), an extinct species of blue pigeon formerly endemic to the Mascarene island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. Illustration by John Gerrard Keulemans from 'Extinct Birds: an attempt to unite in one volume a short account of those birds which have become extinct in historical times: that is, within the last six or seven hundred years: to which are added a few which still exist, but are on the verge of extinction' by Baron, Lionel Walter Rothschild, published in 1907.