rig ues ▁by ▁the ▁police ▁magistr ate ▁George ▁Jen ner ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 6 ▁and ▁ 1 8 7 1 , ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁rever end ▁Henry ▁Hor ro cks ▁Sl ater ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 4 . ▁They ▁were ▁found ▁in ▁c aves ▁on ▁the ▁Pla ine ▁Cor al , ▁a ▁lim estone ▁plain ▁in ▁south - west ▁Rod rig ues . ▁These ▁b ones ▁included ▁the ▁c ran ium , ▁mand ible , ▁stern um , ▁cor ac oid , ▁hum er us , ▁met ac arp us , ▁ul na , ▁fem ur , ▁tib ia , ▁and ▁met at ars us ▁of ▁several ▁birds ; ▁the ▁b ones ▁were ▁depos ited ▁in ▁the ▁British ▁Museum ▁and ▁the ▁Cambridge ▁Museum . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 9 , ▁the ▁b ones ▁became ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁a ▁scientific ▁description ▁of ▁the ▁bird ▁by ▁orn ith olog ists ▁Albert ▁Gün ther ▁and ▁Edward ▁Newton ▁( the ▁brother ▁of ▁Alfred ). ▁They ▁named ▁the ▁bird ▁N ec ro ps ar ▁ro der ican us ; ▁N ek ros ▁and ▁ps ar ▁are ▁Greek ▁for ▁" de ad " ▁and ▁" star ling ", ▁while ▁ro der ican us ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁Rod rig ues . ▁This ▁bin omial ▁was ▁originally ▁proposed ▁by ▁Sl ater ▁in ▁an ▁ 1 8 7 4 ▁manuscript ▁he ▁sent ▁to ▁Gün ther ▁and ▁Newton . ▁Sl ater ▁had ▁prepared ▁the ▁manuscript ▁for ▁an ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁publication , ▁which ▁was ▁never