Tahiti rail plantations. Its diet appears to have consisted mainly of insects and occasionally copra (coconut meat). The extinction of the Tahiti rail was probably due to predation by humans and introduced cats and rats. It appears to have become extinct some time after 1844 on Tahiti, and perhaps as late as the 1930s on Mehetia. The Tahiti rail was found on the South Pacific island of Tahiti (part of the Society Islands archipelago) by naturalists who were part of the British explorer James Cook's second voyage around the world (1772–1775). The bird was illustrated by Georg Forster, who accompanied his father,
Miss Tahiti of the Polynesian culture). The "Miss Dragon" will represent the French Territory at the annual Miss Chinese International beauty contest. Internationally, the winners of Miss Tahiti traditionally competed in Miss World until 2002. The first Miss Tahiti, Teura Bauwens, was sent to Miss World 1960. In 2009, a separate Miss French Polynesia contest was established for Miss World. Winners of Miss Tahiti were also sent to the Miss International pageant during the 1960s and 70s and to Miss Universe between 1978-1985. Nowadays, the runners-up of Miss Tahiti now participate in Miss International and Miss Earth pageants. ‡ Fuller has later