454 Zoological Society :— 
March 22, 1864.—Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S., in the Chair. 
NoTeEs ON THE DIDUNCULUS STRIGIROSTRIS, OR TOOTH-BILLED 
Picton. By Dr. Georce BENNETT. 
Having fortunately obtained by purchase a living pair of those 
singular and rare birds, the Tooth-billed Pigeon (Didunculus strigi- 
rostris), which had been brought from the Samoan or Navigators’ 
Islands to Sydney, New South Wales, an opportunity has been af- 
forded to me of attentively watching their habits in captivity. To 
guard against the event also of these valuable birds dying, I availed 
myself of the services of Mr. C. Thomas, who made an accurate draw- 
ing of them from life in their most natural attitudes ; and his drawing 
conveys an excellent idea of the peculiar expression of these remark- 
able birds when alive. I have sent a tracing of this drawing for in- 
sertion in the ‘ Illustrated London News ;’ and should the bird now 
on its way to England die, I shall be able to send the Society an ac- 
curate coloured representation of the living birds. The Didunculus, 
like the Dodo, has a very limited range, having only been found in- 
habiting the Samoan or Navigators’ Islands. In the contour of the 
bill, the form and position of the nostrils, and several other charac- 
ters, the Didunculus differs from any other living species at present 
known ; and, although a smaller bird in size, it approximates the 
nearest in all its characters to the extinct Dodo, and, like it, combines 
the character of a rapacious bird with that of the harmless Pigeon. 
The Dodo also inhabited a very limited space of land, as the remains 
of that bird and allied genera have only been found on the small 
islands of the Mauritius, Bourbon, and Rodriguez. The Didunculus 
may therefore be regarded as the nearest living ally of the extinct Dodo. 
Although the mandibles of the Didunculus are powerful in structure, 
yet the beak is never used as an offensive weapon ; for when the hand 
is placed in the cage, or the bird is seized for removal from one cage 
to another, it never attempts to bite the aggressor, but, on the con- 
trary, is so timid, that after fluttering about or running into a dark 
corner of the cage in its efforts to escape, it soon becomes subdued 
and is easily taken. 
In all the families of Pigeons a diversity in the form of the beak 
is found. In the Fruit-eating Pigeon the beak is stronger, stouter, 
and the corneous portion is strongly arched and compressed, bearing 
a great resemblance to the structure in certain rapacious birds; and 
this form of beak is carried to the greatest extent in the Didunculus, 
yet the living birds in captivity were never observed to crush hard 
seeds or nuts. They would nibble into minute bits the seeds of lo- 
quats, almonds, and hemp-seed, with the same action as observed in 
the Parrot tribe when feeding. When I first had the birds, boiled 
potatoes and stale bread formed their diet. The boiled potatoes 
were torn and swallowed in large pieces at a time, being soft; but 
the stale bread they would place their feet upon and tear with the 
hooked beak into small bits. A piece of apple was also eaten ; but 
the bananas placed in the cage were never touched, although it is 
said that in a wild state they live on berries, and are very fond of the 
