Struthious Birds in the Islands near Mauritius. 499 



Solitaire, and the other Oiseau bleu. The Solitaire of Bourhon seems 

 however to have been distinct from, though probably allied to, the 

 bird of that name in Rodriguez. Its plumage is stated to have been 

 white, with the wings and tail terminated with black, whereas Leguat 

 describes the Rodriguez bird as grayish and brown. The Bourbon 

 species further differed in having a tail similar to that of an ostrich, 

 and in the beak being lengthened, " like that of a woodcock, but 

 stouter," in which respect it must have resembled the Apteryx of New 

 Zealand. The phrase " ne volant que bien peu" would seem to im- 

 ply that the bird possessed some powers of flight, though possibly it 

 may only mean that when hard pressed the bird aided its progress 

 by flapping the wings, or by springing into the air for a short distance. 



The Oiseaux hleus seem to have been a distinct species both from 

 the Dodo and from the Solitaires of Bourbon and of Rodriguez, and 

 to have been wholly unable to fly, but possessed, like the Apteryx, 

 of great cursorial powers. 



We are then justified in believing, from the relations of authors 

 apparently deserving of credit, that the three contiguous islands of 

 Mauritius, Bourbon and Rodriguez were formerly inhabited by at 

 least four distinct species of birds, deprived, or nearly so, of the power 

 of flight, and more nearly allied in structure to the Apteryx of New 

 Zealand than to any other existing genus of birds. And if the ac- 

 count given by Cauche of a tridactylous and apterous bird in Mau- 

 ritius, called Oiseau de Nazarette, be correct, we must believe in the 

 former existence of a fifth species of the same anomalous family. 



Nor need we be surprised at the supposition that the species allied 

 to the Dodo may have been thus numerous, when we recollect that 

 Prof. Owen has already shown that no less than five species of that 

 ornithic wonder, the Dinornis, inhabited New Zealand at a very 

 recent date, and were doubtless contemporaries of the still surviving 

 Apteryx. Still less should we wonder at the speedy extinction of 

 these birds after man took possession of the Mauritian archipelago. 

 Confined to very small islands, unable to escape from their enemies 

 by flight, and highly esteemed for food, they soon experienced the 

 same fate as that of the Dinornis, a fate which will shortly overtake 

 the unprotected Apteryx*. 



Having thus shoAvn that there is good historical evidence of the 

 former existence of several Struthious or Didiform birds in the Mau- 

 ritian group of islands, we may inquire Avhether any actual remains 

 of these deceased species are still attainable. On this point I must 

 be content rather to excite inquiry than to supply information. Of 

 the Dodo, as is well known, we possess an entire head, and the feet 

 of two individuals ; but of the other birds above referred to, no relics 



* It is probable that in 1693, when Leguat visited Mauritius, the Dodo 

 had been extinct a considerable time. He makes no mention of any such 

 bird, but remarks " L'ile etait autrefois toute remplie d'Oyes et dc Canards 

 sauvagcs, de Poules d'eau, dc Gclinottes, do Tortues de nier ct de tcrre ; 

 viais tout cela est devenu fort I'are;" sliowing that at tliat period, when the 

 Dutch had occupied Mauritius for nearly a century, civilization had made 

 great inroads on the fauna of the island. 



