98 The Zoologist — February, 1866. 



by the water which flows from the mountains ; but he said he thought a likely spot to 

 contain such remains would be in alluvial deposits. A few days after Mr. Clark 

 remarked that some marshes in the vicinity of Mahebourg were likely to furnish these 

 coveted remains; but having neither time nor means at his disposal, he did not under- 

 take the search, though bearing in mind his impression on the subject. The com- 

 mencement of the railway works, with their numerous cuttings at various heights, 

 gave hopes to Mr. Clark that some remains might be discovered ; but his inquiries 

 from those employed there on this subject failed to elicit any information. About 

 two months ago, Mr. Gaston de Bissy caused to be dug from a marsh on his property, 

 known as ' La Mare aux Songes,' the alluvium contained in it, to use as manure. 

 After digging two or three feel, the men came in contact with bones of tortoises and 

 deer, the former in vast numbers. As soon as Mr. Clark heard of this, he went to Mr. 

 de Bissy and stated to him what bad long been his opinion as to the position in which 

 dodo's bones might be found, requesting him to give orders to the diggers to lay by 

 carefully whatever bones they might turu up. Mr. de Bissy was much pleased with 

 the chance of making so interesting a discovery, and at once ordered that Mr. Clark's 

 request should be fulfilled. Mr. Clark visited the estate many times, but without ob- 

 taining any satisfactory intelligence. He at length engaged two men to enter the daik- 

 coloured water, about three feel deep, and feel in the soft mud at the bottom with their 

 feet. In a short time he had the inexpressible satisfaction of finding a broken tarsus, 

 an entire tibia and part of aiu)ther. He at once commenced operations in earnest, and 

 has been fortunate enough to find every important bone of that remarkable bird, 

 including cranium, upper and lower mandibles of bill, cervical and dorsal vertebra, 

 ribs, coracoid bones, scapulie and clavicle, sternum, humerus, ulna, pelvis, femur, tibia 

 and tarsometatarsus, so thai an experienced peisou can well build a doiio from these 

 remains, the loes being the only part wanting. The skull of this bird was of amazing 

 thickness, and the cerebral cavity very small. The beak of great stren;;th and solidity, 

 as are the condyles of the lower uiandilile. Some of the cervical veriebriE are more 

 than two inches in diameter, and of very elaborate structure. The sternum, of which 

 the form shows a strong resemblance to that of the pigeon tribe, iu some specimens is 

 more than five inches wide and seven long. The keel is a quarter of an inch thick, 

 and about an inch deep iu the deepest part, which is at the centre; and the sternum is 

 there three-quarters of an inch in thickness, but it thins off to a sharp edge at the 

 margin. The humerus is less than four inches in length, and the shaft only about 

 three-eighths of an inch in diameter, and the ulna under three inches, and less than a 

 quarter of an inch in thickness. Some femurs are nearly seven inches long and more 

 than an inch in diameter, and tibite nine inches long, and the upper condyles two 

 inches in diameter. The tarsometatarsi are of very solid bone, and have been found in 

 greater numhevs than any others: they are about the length of those of a good-sized 

 turkey, but more than twice the thickness. Only two or three craniums have been 

 found, with a few fragments. The paucity of these remains as compared with other 

 parts of the frame may very possibly arise from the numerous apertures in the head, 

 into which roots insinuated themselves, thus disintegrating the structure. The upper 

 mandible of the bill has suffered from the same cause, and only two tolerably perfect 

 specimens of that organ have beeti obtained, while the under mandibles are numerous ; 

 but only three or four have been found in which both rami remain attached. The tip 

 of one upper mandible is two inches in depth and an inch in thickness. The vertebrae 



