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find what I believe to be all the specimens sent to the Society by 
Mr. Telfair. 
Upon my informing Mr. Mitchell of my success, that gentleman, 
knowing the trouble and interest I had taken to recover them, 
granted me permission to examine, compare, and describe them, and 
to bring the subject before the Society. 
In the first place, we are led to believe (and I think without the 
slightest doubt) that these bones came originally from the island of 
Rodriguez. There cannot be any doubt, also, that Rodriguez and 
the neighbouring islands were at one period inhabited by several spe- 
cies of large birds. Whether any of the same species of these birds 
inhabited different islands, or whether each island was inhabited by 
distinct species, is a quostion to which I beg most particularly to call 
your attention: the most recent publication by Mr. Strickland and 
Dr. Melville would lead us to believe that the true Dodo (Didus in- 
eptus) was solely confined to the island of Mauritius, and another 
species, known as the Solitaire, was said to be its representative on the 
island of Rodriguez. If this be true, I should have the pleasure of 
introducing to your notice the bones of at least two new species of 
birds from that island: I do not however myself feel justified in so 
doing, but believe some of the bones sent here by Mr. Telfair belong 
to the true Dodo (Didus ineptus). There are also in the collection 
(I think without doubt) bones of two other species, one of these 
of much larger size than the Dodo, the other considerably smaller. 
The bones in question having all the usual and well-known charac- 
teristics of those of adult birds, we cannot therefore suppose the dif- 
ferences which they present to be such as might arise from age; and 
on the other hand, you will perceive that the proportions are too dis- 
similar to allow of our regarding them as having belonged to different 
sexes of the same species. There often exists great difference of size 
in the bones of the opposite sex, but I have never noticed any very 
evident difference of proportion. These are to me satisfactory reasons 
for considering them specifically distinct. But to return to the ques- 
tion,—Was the Dodo found on the island of Rodriguez? Sir Thomas 
Herbert says z¢ was; and his evidence appears to me of much im- 
portance, considering the number of years he spent travelling about, 
visiting these islands, and collecting rare and curious things; having 
also repeatedly described the Dodo, and very probably brought one 
to England. I am therefore inclined to regard the assertions made 
by Sir Thomas Herbert with more respect than they have elsewhere 
received. It may appear at first sight impossible that the same spe- 
cies of birds which were destitute of the power of swimming or flying 
could inhabit islands so far from each other; but, were these islands 
always in the state in which we find them? may they not at some 
distant period have been united and formed part of the same land? 
In endeavouring in this manner to account for the existence of the 
Dodo upon the island of Rodriguez as well as at Mauritius, it has 
been remarked that this argument would not hold good, as the islands 
in question were of volcanic origin: if this be the case, to account for 
its existence at either place appears to me equally difficult. I am 
