498 Mr. H. E. Strickland on the former Existence of 



tee") than a turkey, while the Dodo was a very short-legged bird, 

 as shown by the specimens in the British and Oxford Museums. 



4. The Solitaire carried its neck erect, and this member was said 

 to be longer in proportion than that of a turkey. But the Dodo is 

 depicted with a short, thick and curved neck, corresponding with the 

 massive proportions of its head. 



5. Though unable to fly, the wings of the Solitaire appear to have 

 been more developed than in the Dodo, as they were enlarged at the 

 end into a knob the size of a musket-ball, with which the bird at- 

 tacked its enemies. 



6. The female Solitaire is stated to have a kind of band (probably 

 composed of feathers) at the upper part of the beak, resembling a 

 widow's cap ; but in the Dodo the whole face was naked. 



It seems then sufficiently evident, that as late as the year 1693 the 

 island of Rodriguez was inhabited by a large species of bird distinct 

 from the Dodo of Mauritius, and now exterminated. This bird was 

 unable to fly ; and Leguat, who gives a minute description of its 

 habits, mentions the remarkable circumstance that it lays one e^g 

 on a heap of palm-leaves a foot and a half high, a character which 

 possibly indicates an affinity to Talegalla and the Megapodiince of 

 Australia. 



The Solitaire of Rodriguez seems not to have been mentioned by 

 any other author than Leguat, and we may presume that the species 

 was exterminated within a few years after his visit. 



There is evidence however that other apterous birds of this ano- 

 malous class formerly existed in the adjacent island of Bourbon. In 

 the library of the Zoological Society is a manuscript presented by 

 that active naturalist the late C. Telfair, Esq., who during his resi- 

 dence in Mauritius collected many valuable scientific and historical 

 documents. This MS. is entitled ' Journal et Relation des Voyages 

 faits par le S'" D. B. aux iles Dauphine ou Madagasclar et de I3our- 

 bon ou Mascarenne.' 1669. The author, who seems to have been 

 a very intelligent observer, speaking of the birds of the island of 

 Bourbon, has the following passage : — 



" Oiseaux de terre et leurs noms. 



" Solitaires : ces oiseaux sont nommes alnsi, parce qu'ils vont tou- 

 jours seuls. lis sont gros comme une grosse Oye, et ont le plumage 

 blanc, noir a I'extremite des ailes et de la queue. A la queue il y a 

 des plumes approchantes de celles d'Autruche, ils ont le col long, et 

 le bee fait comme celui des becasses, mais plus gros, les jambes et 

 pieds comme poulets d'Inde. Get oiseau se prend a la course, ne 

 volant que blen peu. 



•' Oiseaux bleus, gros comme les Solitaires, ont le plumage tout 

 bleu, le bee et les pieds rouges, faits comme pieds de poules, ils ne 

 volent point, mais ils courent extremement vite, tellement qu'un 

 chien a peine d'en attraper a la course ; ils sont tres bons." 



The author then proceeds to describe the wild pigeons and other 

 birds of Bourbon. 



It appears then that about the year 1670 the islviid of Bourbon was 

 inhabited by two species of Struthious birds, one c f which was called 



