DODO 155 



supposed — but really very slight — affinity to the DoDO, and of the 

 belief that it would speedily undergo the same fate, has already 

 caused legends about it to spring up, and statements are made to 

 the effect that it has changed its habits so as to ensure its safety 

 from the numerous enemies which civilization has introduced. I 

 have no means of contradicting such assertions, but according to my 

 own experience they are very unlikely to be true, and they should 

 be verified by particular observation and not left to general im- 

 pression. Living examples have several times been taken to 

 Sydney, and 3 have been exhibited in the Zoological Gardens in 

 London. The first of them, obtained through the care of Dr. George 

 Bennett {Froc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 158), laid an egg {Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 1867, p. 164, pi. XV. fig. 6) which was of the normal Columbine 

 form and nearly of the normal Columbine coloui\ It must be con- 

 fessed that the species, the speedy extinction of which seems prob- 

 able, was not lively or attractive as a cage-bird. 



DODO, from the Portuguese Doudo (a simpleton ^), a large bird 

 formerly inhabiting Mauritius, but now extinct — the Didus ineptus of 

 Linngeus. The precise year in which that island was discovered by 

 the Portuguese is undetermined ; but M. Codine shews {Mim. Giogr. 

 sur la Mer des Indes, chap. vii. Paris : 1868) that it was probably in 

 1507, and it was by them called Cerne, after one of their ships 

 so named from an island mentioned by Pliny (Hist. Nat. vi. 

 36 ; x. 9), though many authors have insisted that it was 

 known to the seamen of that nation as Ilha do Cisne — 

 perhaps but a corruption of Cerne, and brought about by their 

 finding it stocked with large fowls, which, though not aquatic, they 

 likened to Swans, the most familiar to them of bulky birds. How- 

 ever, that early experience is unfortunately lost to us, no direct 

 e^ddence having come to light, and nothing positive can be asserted 

 of the island or its inhabitants (none of whom, it should be 

 observed, were human) until 1598, vi^hen the Dutch, under Van 

 Neck, arrived there and renamed it Mauritius. A narrative of 

 this voyage was published in 1601, if not sooner, and has been 

 often reprinted. Here we have birds spoken of as big as Swans or 

 bigger, with large heads, no wings, and a tail consisting of a few 

 curly feathers. The Dutch called them JFalghvogels (the word is 

 variously spelt), i.e. "nauseous birds," because, as is said, no 

 cooking made them palatable ; but another and perhaps better 

 reason, for it was admitted that their breast was tender, is also 

 assigned, namely, that this island-pai-adise afforded an abundance 

 of superior fare. De Bry gives two admirably quaint prints of 

 the doings of the Hollanders, and in one of them the Walclivogel 



1 Ale^-yn and Colle, in their Woordensehat der tivce Taalcn Portugeesch en 

 Nederduitsch (Amsterdam: 1714, p. 362), render it "Een sot, dwaas, dol, of 

 uitzinni" mensch." 



