78 



The Solitaire of Rodriguez seems not to have been mentioned by 

 any other author than Leguat, and \ve may presume that the species 

 •vvas extenninated Avithin a fevv years after his visit. 



There is evidence however that other apterous birds of this ano- 

 malous class formerly existed in the adjacent island of Bourbon. In 

 the library of the Zoological Society is a manuscript presented by 

 that active naturalist the late C. Telfair, Esq., who during his resi- 

 dence in Mauritius collected many valuable scientific and historical 

 documents. This MS. is entitled ' Journal et Relation des Voyages 

 faits par le S"" D. B. aux iles Dauphine ou Madagascar et de Bour- 

 bon ou Mascarenne.' 1669. The author, who seems to have been 

 a very intelligent observer, speaking of the birds of the island of 

 Bourbon, has the foUovving passage : — 



" Oiseaux de terre et leurs noms. 



" Solitaires : ces oiseaux sont nommes ainsi, parce qu'ils vont tou- 

 jours seuls. Ils sont gros comme une grosse Oye, et ont le plumage 

 blanc, noir a rextrėmite des ailes et de la queue. A la queue ii y a 

 des plumes approchantes de celles d'Autruche, ils ont le col long, et 

 le bec fait comme celui des bėcasses, mais plūs gros, les jambes et 

 pieds comme poulets d'Inde. Cet oiseau se prend a la course, ne 

 volant que bien peu. 



" Oiseaux bleus, gros comme les Solitaires, ont le plumage tout 

 bleu, le bec et les pieds rouges, faits comme pieds de poules, ils ne 

 volent point, mais ils courent extrėmement vite, tellement qu'un 

 chien a peine d'en attraper a la course ; ils sont trės bons." 



The author then proceeds to describe the wild pigeons and other 

 birds of Bourbon. 



It appears then that about the year 1670 the island of Bourbon •vvas 

 inhabited by two species of Struthious birds, one of which was called 

 Solitaire, and the other Oiseau bleu. The Solitait'e of Bourbon seems 

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

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

 white, with the wings and tail terminated ^vith black, \vhereas Leguat 

 describes the Rodriguez bird as greyish and brown. The Bourbon 

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

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

 stouter," in ■ft'hich respect it mušt have reserabled the Apteryx of New 

 Zealand. The phrase "ne volant que bien peu" \vould 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 \vings, or by springing into the air for a short distance. 



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

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

 to have been wholly unable to fly, but possessed, likę the Anterj^x, 

 of great cursorial powers. 



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

 apparentlj' 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 tlie povver 

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

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



