92 Letter from the Hon. .Mr. G. C. Cuninghame. 



Strickland's views; but that not being in my power, 1 

 lay before you his letter and its enclosures, in hopeithat 

 some of the members of this Society may take an in- 

 terest in the matter and be induced to institute an en- 

 quiry. 



From Mr. Strickland's communication there ap- 

 pears to be now no doubt of the former existence in 

 this Island of the Dodo (the Didus ineptus of Lin- 

 n(EUs), a species quite distinct from the Didus Solita- 

 rfus of Legunt and Gmelin, which certainly existed at 

 Rodrigues so late as 1693. And it further seem* 

 e\ ide it from the authorities (Rioted by Mr. Strickland, 

 th;it there were in the Island of Bourbon in 1670 two 

 species of apterous birds, one of which nearly resem- 

 bled the Didus Solitarius of Rodrigues. The other 

 differed from it chiefly in colour, but while the former 

 is described as not flying much, and as being taken, 

 like the Ostrich, by coursing it, the other is stated not 

 to have been able to fly at all. 



The researches of Mr. Strickland seem to have 

 ascertained that about 200 years ago, the Islands of 

 Mauritius, Bourbon, and Rodrigues, were each inhabit- 

 ed by a different species of large struthious bird, whoso 

 wings were insufficient to support it in the air, but 

 greatly assisted its rapid motions on the ground. It 

 would appear that there was, besides these, another 

 large and somewhat similar bird at Mauritius, and ano- 

 ther, still different, at Bourbon. 



Three of these birds, or perhaps four, were of a 

 form approaching to that of the Turkey, while one, tho 

 Dodo, judging from the remains which exist, wai rather 

 of tfce form of the Duck, having a large head, with 



