of the Dodo {Didus ineptus Lin.). 44<7 



mass. We used them, in preference to any other stone, to 

 sharpen our knives. 



" When these birds set about building their nests, they 

 choose a clear spot, and raise it a foot and a half off the 

 ground, upon a heap of leaves of the palm tree, which they 

 collect together for the purpose. They only lay one egg^ which 

 is very much larger than that of a goose. The male and female 

 sit by turns, and it does not hatch until after a period of seven 

 weeks. During the whole period of incubation, or that they 

 are rearing their young one, which is not capable of providing 

 for itself until after several months, they will not suffer any 

 bird of their own kind to approach within 200 paces of their 

 nest ; and what is very singular is, that the male never chases 

 away the females ; only, when he perceives one, he makes, in 

 whirling, his ordinary noise, to call his companion, which im- 

 mediately comes and gives chase to the stranger, and which 

 she does not quit until driven without their limits. The female 

 does the same, and allows the males to be driven off by her 

 mate. This is a circumstance that we so often witnessed, that 

 I speak of it with certainty. These combats last sometimes 

 for a long time, because the stranger only turns off, without 

 going in a straight line from the nest ; nevertheless, the others 

 never quit until they have chased them away." * 



We have, in this last relation of Leguat, who resided in the 

 midst of them for a considerable period, a detailed, although 

 rude, description, and a natural history of the dodo, probably 

 the only one that was ever penned under such favourable cir- 

 cumstances. No doubt this first colony, in so small an island, 

 considerably reduced the number of the dodo; but when they 

 finally disappeared does not appear to have been any where 

 recorded. From the nature and habits of the bird, it is clear 

 that the duration of the species was wholly incompatible with 

 the dominion of man : had it been capable of domestication, or 

 had it possessed the swiftness of foot of the ostrich, or the 

 aquatic habits of the penguin, to compensate its want of the 

 power of flying, they might still have shared some of the pos- 

 sessions originally assigned to the race ; or even like the tur- 

 key-cock and goose, have administered to the wants of man- 

 kind, in every temperate region of the globe ; under existing 

 circumstances, however, they appear to have been what may 

 be truly termed a paradisiacal bird, and predestined to disap- 

 pear at their proper time. As they are the only vertebrated 

 animals which we can make certain of having lost since the last 

 creation, they furnish an interesting subject of meditation to 



* Voyage de Francois Leguat, Gentilhomme, Bressan, 1708, 

 G G 4 



