Mr. H. E. Strickland on the Dodo and its Kindred. 259 
distinctive, I had meditated calling it Maria, in remembrance of 
my late talented little niece, who had assisted me so much in my 
natural history studies, by collecting specimens and getting up 
facts relating to the instincts and habits of the objects I noted 
or described. Maria was with me in Manchester when I procured 
the green-backed swallow (your Hirundo euchrysea), and we visited 
together in the very district where this new Trochilus was found ; 
but I hesitated about the adoption of her name, from the impos- 
sibility of putting it in any other way than as ‘ Trochilus Maria,’ 
though 7. Cora and 7. Mango might reconcile me to it. 
[Other examples, as Anna, Sappho, &c., might also be added.] 
I leave the matter m your hands, but would suggest that the 
specific soubriquet should be considered undetermined, till fresh 
specimens be obtained.” 
A figure of this specimen appears in my ‘Illustrations,’ Part xiii. 
plate 22. 
XXXI.— Supplementary Notices regarding the Dodo and its 
Kindred. Nos. 4,5. By H. E. Srricxianp, M.A., F.G.S. 
{Continued from p. 139.] 
4. The Dodo applied to Heraldry.—I am indebted to the Rev. 
Richard Hooper, of St. Stephen’s, Westminster, for obligingly 
calling my attention to what may be ealled the heraldic depart- 
ment of the Dodo-history. The introduction of such a subject 
into a scientific journal would require apology were it not certain 
that many a curious fact of history, both physical and civil, may 
be disentangled from the quaint devices of armorial pageantry. 
It now appears that besides the ‘“ human Dodos” referred to by a 
witty (yet scientific) writer in Blackwood’s Magazine (Jan. 1849, 
p- 81), a family has existed in modern times, bearing the syno- 
nymous name of Dronte, and decorated with a Dodo on their 
armorial shield. Could we now trace out the whereabouts of this 
family, we might possibly elicit from their archives some original 
facets connected with the present matter. All my inquiries about 
the Dronte family have indeed hitherto been fruitless, but I hope | 
that this notice may induce heraldic students to throw light on 
the subject. The passage to which I here refer is contained in 
the ‘Academy of Armory and Blazon’ by Randle Holme, pub- 
lished at Chester in 1688 ; book ii. ch. 13. p. 289. The Rev. 
J. Baron of Queen’s College, Oxford, has kindly afforded access 
to a copy of this rare work in the library of that college, and has 
enabled Mr. Delamotte to engrave the following facsimile of the 
heraldic device. This figure seems to have been copied, with a 
ittle alteration, from that contained in the rare edition of Bon- 
17* 
