Cu. II.) OF THE SOLITAIRE. 51 
remind us of the Cassowary, rather than of the Dodo. But as we now possess some actual 
osteological evidences as to its characters, we are enabled to pronounce positively that this 
bird was closely allied to Didus, and was decidedly not Struthious. 
As long ago as 1789 certain bones, encrusted with stalagmite, and supposed to belong 
to the Dodo, were found in a cave in the Island of Rodriguez, by a M. Labistour, whose 
son-in-law, M. Roquefeuille gave them, about 1830, to the late M. J. Desjardins, Secretary 
to the “ Société d Histoire Naturelle del Ile Maurice.” The latter gentleman sent them to 
Cuvier at Paris, who by some unaccountable confusion of time, place, and circumstance, 
stated them to have been recently found, under a bed of lava, and in Mauritius. These errors 
were corrected by M. Desjardins, in the Analyse des Travaux de la Soc. d’ Hist. Nat. de V Ile 
Maurice, 2de Année. (See also Proceedings of Committee of Zoological Society, part 2, p. 111). 
It was probably the interest excited by these bones, that induced the late Mr. Telfair in 
1831 to apply for further information to Col. Dawkins and to M. Eudes, then resident at 
Rodriguez. The results of his enquiries are thus recorded in the Proceedings of the Zoological 
Society, part. 1, p. 31. 
“Col. Dawkins, in a recent visit to Rodriguez, conversed with every person whom he met 
respecting the Dodo, and became convinced that the bird does not exist there. The general statement 
was that no bird is to be found there, except the Guinea-fowl and Parrot. From one person, however, 
he learned the existence of another bird, which was called Oiseau-beuf, a name derived from its voice, 
which resembles that of a Cow. From the description given of it by his informant, Col. Dawkins at 
first believed that this bird was really the Dodo; but on obtaiming a specimen of it, it proved to 
be a Gamnet. It is found only in the most secluded parts of the island. 
“Col. Dawkins visited the caverns in which bones have been dug up, and dug in several places, 
but found only small pieces of bone. A beautiful rich soil forms the ground-work of them, which is 
from six to eight feet deep, and contains no pebbles. No animal of any description inhabits these 
caves—not even Bats. 
““M. Eudes succeeded in digging up in the large cavern various bones, including some of a large 
kind of bird, which no longer exists in the island; these he forwarded to Mr. Telfair, by whom they 
were presented to the Society. The only part of the cavern in which they were found was at the 
entrance, where the darkness begins; the little attention usually paid to this part by visitors, may be 
the reason why they have not been previously found. Those near the surface were the least injured, and 
they occur to the depth of three feet, but nowhere in considerable quantity; whence M. Eudes con- 
jectures that the bird was at all times rare, or, at least, uncommon. A bird of so large a size as that 
indicated by the bones has never been seen by M. Gory, who has resided forty years on the island. 
“M. Eudes adds, that the Dutch, who first landed at Rodriguez, left cats there to destroy the rats 
which annoyed them; these cats have since become very numerous, and prove highly destructive to 
poultry ; and he suggests it as probable that they may have destroyed the large kind of bird to which the 
bones belong, by devouring the young ones as soon as they were hatched,—a destruction which may 
have been completed long before the island was inhabited.” 
1 Tam indebted to Mr. G. C. Cuninghame for sending me, through Sir W. C. Trevelyan, extracts from the 
archives of the Mauritian Society, detailing the above facts. ’ 
je) 
