BIRDS ALLIED TO THE DODO. J 91 



bones brought from Rodriguez as those of the Solitaire, which we now know to have 

 existed in that island as recently as 1735 (see Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist. 2nd Ser. vol.iii. 

 p. 138). That some of these bones have belonged to that extinct bird, there is no reason 

 to doubt ; but as I consider it proved that these rehcs indicate two distinct species, 

 it is worth while to inquire which of these is to be regarded as the true Solitaire of 

 Leguat and D'Heguerty. In this inquiry we have no other data but that of size to guide 

 us. Now Leguat compares Solitaires in a general sense to Turkeys {Meleagris gallopavo), 

 but adds that they are longer in the leg ("plus haut montes"). He states, that in the winter 

 season, when they are " extraordinairement gras," some of the males weigh forty-five 

 pounds. This statement is confirmed by D'Heguerty, who describes them as " plus 

 gros qu'un Cygne." 



It is evident from these statements that the Solitaire must have been larger than a 

 Turkey, the males of which rarely exceed the weight of thirty pounds. And as the 

 tarso-metatarsus of a large Turkey is barely 6 inches in length, that of a Solitaire, which 

 was proportionally longer in the leg, must have considerably exceeded 6 inches. Now 

 the tarso-raetatarsi of the smaller series of bones are only 5 inches 8 lines in length, 

 while those of the larger series measure from 7 inches 1 hne to 7 inches 3 lines, and 

 thus fully conform to the dimensions of the Solitaire, as indicated by Leguat. 



I therefore conclude that it is the larger of the two supposed species which we are to 

 regard as the Solitaire of Leguat and D'Heguerty, and for which therefore the names 

 Didus solitarius of Gmelin, and Pezophaps solitaria proposed by Dr. Melville and myself, 

 must be retained. 



With regard to the smaller-sized species of which we possess bones, we may either 

 conjecture that it had become extinct before Leguat's visit to the island, or we may 

 suppose that in these bones we see the relics of the birds obscurely described by Leguat 

 under the name of " Gelinottes " (see ' Dodo and its Kindred,' p. .55), and to which 

 M. de Selys Longchamps has rather prematurely applied a scientific name, Apterornis 

 bonasia (Revue Zoologique, 1848, p. 294). Our information respecting these Gelinottes 

 is, however, at present too vague to justify any specific or generic identifications of them ; 

 and until our knowledge is advanced by procuring further osteological evidence from 

 Rodriguez, I prefer to attach to the bones of smaller dimensions the provisional specific 

 name of Pezophaps niinor^. 



I will now conclude by briefly describing the five bones belonging to the Society, 

 pointing out such structural peculiarities as their more perfect condition enables us to 



' Iq a communication respecting these bones, made by Mr. A. D. Bartlett to the Zoological Society on 

 Dec. 9, 1851, of which an abstract is given in the Literary Gazette, 1851, p. 923, it will be seen that he refers 

 them to three distinct species — the true Didus ineptus, the supposed D. nazarenus, and the Solitaire of Leguat. 

 I have, however, endeavoured to prove that they belong to two species only, neither of which can be referred to 

 the Mauritian D. iniptus, nor to the D. nazarenus, which is merely a synonym of that bird, based on the 

 erroneous description of Cauche (see ' Dodo and its Kindred,' p. 11). 



VOL. IV. PART VI. 2 F 



