4G2 THE FliVniEKED TRIBES. 



by tho Low Dutch, of tliirty miles' compass, famous especially for black ebony, did equal 

 or exceed a swan in bigness, but was of a far different shajie ; for its liei(d was great, 

 covered, as it were, with a certain membrane resembling- a hood ; beside, its bill was not 

 flat ^ud broad, but thick and long, of a yellowish colour next the head, the point being 

 black. The upper chap was hooked ; in the nether was a bluish spot in the middle 

 between the yellow and black part. They reported that it is covered with thin and short 

 feathers, and wants wings, instead whereof it hath only four or five long black feathers ; 

 that the hinder part of the body is very fat and fleshy, wherein for the tail were four or 

 five small curled feathers, twirled up together, of an ash colour. Its legs are thick rather 

 than long, whose upper part, as far as the knee, is covered with black feathers ; the 

 lower part, together with the feet, of a yellowish colour ; its feet divided into four toes, 

 three (and those the longer) standing forward, the fourth and shortest backward, all 

 furnished with black claws. After I had composed and written down the history of this 

 bird with as mTich diligence and faithfulness as I could, I hajipencd to see in the house 

 of Peter Pauwins, primary professor of physic in the university of Leyden, a leg thereof 

 cut off at the knee, lately brought over out of ]\Iauritius,. his island. It was not very 

 long, from the knee to the bending of the foot being but little more than four inches, 

 but of a great thickness, so that it was almost four inches in compass, and covered with 

 ihickset scales, on the upper side broader, and of a yellowish colour, on the under (or 

 back side of the leg) lesser and dusk}'. The upper side of the toes was also covered with 

 broad scales, the under side wholly callous. The toes were short for so thick a leg ; for 

 the length of the greatest or middlemost toe to the nail did not much exceed two inches, 

 that of the other toe nfext to it scarce came up to two inches ; the back toe fell something 

 short of an inch and a half; but the claws of all were thick, hard, black, less than an 

 inch long ; but that of the back toe longer than the rest, exceeding an inch.* The 

 mariners, in their dialect, gave this bird the name Walgk-Vurje/, that is, nauseous or 

 yellowish f bird ; partly because after long boiling its flesh became not tender, but 

 continued hard and of a difficult cbncoction, excepting the breast and gizzard, whicli 

 tlicy found to be of no bad relish ; partly because they could casilj' get many {iirtlc-dorfu, 

 which were much more delicate and pleasant to the" palatfc. "Wherefore it Mas no wonder 

 that in comparison with those they despised this, and said they could well be content 

 without it. Moreover, they said that they found certain stones in its gizzard, and no 

 ivondcr, for all other birds, as well as these, s/ralloir stones, to assist them in <iriiiitiii(j their 

 meat. Thus far Clusius." 



^Ir. Vigors, in his 'paper on "The Natural Affinities that connect the Orders and 

 l<'amUies of Birds," thus writes on the subject of the dodo : — •" Considerable doubts have 

 arisen as to the present existence of the Jjinn^ean IJidits ; and they luive been increased 

 by the consideration of the numberless opportunities that have latterly occurred of 

 ascertaining the existence of these birds in those situations, the isles ol' INlauritius 

 an'd IJourbon, where they were originally alleged to have been found. That they 

 once existed, I believe, cannot be questioned. Besides the descriptions given by 

 voyagers of undoubted authority, the relics of a specimen preser\(il in (lie public 



• "Wc arc iudiliti'd to Mr. Gray to]' tlic tbllowin^ nicasurciiuiit of llic loot in 1 he liritish Museum : — 

 " Kiico to antic, four and a-luilf inilics ; ciriumfiicnci', lour inches; middle (oc, lliree inclics ; back 

 toe, one and a half incites ; front claws, which arc much worn, v'v^hi lines ; back claw, al.so mucli worn^ 

 shorter." Mr. Gray observes, that the lef? mentioned by Clusius is j)robably, fiom the similarity of Ihe 

 measurement, the specimen which was oftcrwnrds noticed by Circw, and (iinilly eanie to the Urilisli 

 Muscimi. 



t So in Wilhighby ; but the print is .somewhat indistinct, and there may be error. In the original 

 the wordw are, " jrnlr/h-Voi/rl, lioc est nauseimi niovens avis, partiui cpiod, \c." The woid, therefore, i> 

 :iii interpolation. 



