410 COLUMB.E. 



on several occasions, by the Dutch navigators. Its ex- 

 tei'nal appearance is portrayed in a few pictures, into 

 which its unwiehly form was fortunately introduced by 

 the Dutch painters, at the beginning of the seventeenth 

 century. The only parts of its structure still to be found 

 in Europe consist of two heads, a foot, a few feathers, 

 and some of its bones, which are scattered about in various 

 museums in England and on the Continent. From the 

 pictures above mentioned and the descriptions of the 

 early voyagers, it appears that the Dodo was a bulky and 

 heavy bird, larger than a Swan, and weighing sometimes 

 as much as fifty ]jounds ; it had a long and strong bill, 

 with the basal j^ortion of the upper mandible depressed 

 and membranous ; the apical ])art of this mandible was 

 strong, horny, much arched, hooked, and acute, giving 

 the organ so much resemblance to that of a Vulture, 

 that the Dodo was at one time regarded as allied to those 

 birds of prey. The nostrils were placed in the sides of 

 the basal part of the upper mandible ; and in all respects 

 the structure of the upper bill presents so great a simi- 

 larity to that occurring in the Didunculus, that on the 

 discovery of the latter bird, tlie resemblance could not be 

 overlooked. The feet of the Dodo were short and exceed- 

 ingly stout, and altJiough presenting a certain resemblance 

 to those of a Pigeon, indicated clearly enough that their 

 possessor was a strictly terrestrial bird. Indeed, its 

 wings being very short, and furnished only with soft de- 

 composed feathers, like the well-known Ostrich plumes, 

 were quite incapable of raising it from the ground. 

 The body of the Dodo seems to have terminated in a 

 rounded extremity, and to have been destitute of true 

 tail-feathers ; but a tuft of plumes, similar to those of the 

 wings, existed low down on its back, and probably repre- 

 sented the tail-coverts. The plumage was blackish, with 

 the light feathers of the wings and so-called tail pale 

 fawn-colour. That the occurrence of a large and sluggish 

 bird like the Dodo upon the distant island of the Mauri- 

 tius must have been a welcome })henomenon to the Dutch 

 sailors v/ho discovered it, cannot admit of doubt ; and we 

 can easily understand that in theu' subsequent voyages to 

 the East Indies, they were only too glad to avail them- 

 selves of the abundant supply of fresh meat afforded by 

 the Dodos, after being restricted for montlis to the salt 



