EXTINCT CURSORES; DODO, DINORNIS. 491 



that have been preserved. One of these is the Dodo ; which 

 appears, from the records of history, to have once abounded in the 

 Mauritius, Bourbon, and some neighbouring islands; but of which 

 the only relics we at present have, are a head and foot in the 

 Ashmolean Museum at Oxford, a foot in the British Museum, 

 a head in the Museum at Copenhagen, and a breast-bone in the 

 Museum at Paris; together with various representations, of 

 which a painting in the British Museum is probably to be re- 

 garded as an accurate one. The absence of wings seems to 

 determine the place of the Dodo to be in this family ; notwith- 

 standing the conformation of its bill, which is extremely vulture- 

 like. The body and feet bear a strong resemblance to that of 

 the Gallinaceous Birds ; in size it surpassed the largest among 

 them, its weight being between forty-five and fifty pounds. Its 

 flesh is described by the early voyagers as palatable; and it 

 seems to be to the destruction of large numbers, for the supply of 

 the crews of India ships touching at the islands just mentioned, 

 that we are to attribute the extirpation of the race. If it should 

 still survive, it would probably be found in Madagascar ; which 

 has been, as yet, but very insufficiently explored by Naturalists. 

 442. The former existence, in New Zealand, of a gigantic 

 race of Birds of the wingless order, of which some traditionary 

 accounts remained among the natives, has been recently proved 

 by the discovery in that country of a considerable number of 

 bones, presenting a very strong resemblance to those of the 

 Ostrich, but for the most part belonging to Birds of much larger 

 size. These all agree so well in their general characters, as to 

 be placed in one genus, to which the name of Dinornis has been 

 given by Professor Owen ; but their differences in size and in 

 other particulars appear sufficient to prove, thaty?f e distinct species 

 must have formerly inhabited New Zealand. The largest of 

 these must have stood at least ten feet and a half in height, and 

 probably more ; several of its bones are at least twice the size of 

 those of the Ostrich ; but the body seems to have been more 

 bulky in proportion, and the tarsus was shorter and stouter, in 

 order to sustain its weight. The bones cannot be regarded as 

 fossils ; but as the remains of animals that have existed at no 



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