Subdesert mesite Subdesert mesite The subdesert mesite ("Monias benschi") is a ground-dwelling bird endemic to Madagascar. It is one of three species in the mesite family Mesitornithidae, and is restricted in distribution to a small low-land region in southwest Madagascar. The subdesert mesite is a medium-sized terrestrial bird which is often described as rail-like (a family with which the mesites are sometimes placed). The species has a long and downward-curved bill distinguishing it from the other members of the family. Both sexes are greyish above and show thin white eyebrows. Both have white underparts; the male has black crescent-shaped spots on the
Franklin Island (Greenland) named after the British explorer John Franklin (1786–1847), by Elisha Kent Kane between 1854 and 1855 during his second Grinnell Expedition, after it was sighted by Hans Hendrik and the American William Morton in June 1854. Franklin Island (Greenland) Franklin Island () is one of three islands located in Kennedy Channel of Nares Strait in the high Arctic and is part of the Qaasuitsup municipality, Greenland. Franklin Island is the largest of a group of three islands that includes Crozier Island and Hans Island as well. The former is also part of Greenland, whilst the latter's ownership is disputed between