442 JOVMAL, BOMBAY NATURAL BISTOBT SOCIETY, 1892. 



One splendid stag, whlcli I had tlie good fortune to kill, weighed 

 19 stone 3 lbs. (clean) and carried a splendid head, another was 

 bagged by one of our officers, with a very remarkable malformed head. 

 I enclose a sketch of the former. Others were in the velvet, 

 showing, what I have often observed in hot climates, that animals 

 and birds breed at all times of the year. 



Before concluding these remarks on Rodriguez, I will quote from 

 a letter I lately received from Mr. Colin, Magistrate, on the island, 

 in which he gives me the following interesting information: — 



" One buck and one doe {i.e., stag and hind) were introduced here 

 ^' in 1862 by Captain Worth of the barque " Grazelle.'^ They came 

 '' from Borneo. In 1863 a pair were sent from Mauritius by the 

 *' Schooner " Espoir," and the species of deer we have here take their 

 " origin from the two above breeds. Partridges were brought here 

 " by Captain Guinol, of the barque " Teemayma" from Tranquebar. 

 " The ship was in distress, and a cage full was exchanged for fowls, 

 " by the magistrate, Mr. Jenner. Thirty-six parti idges, and twelve 

 " quails were let loose at Oyster Bay, but the latter were destroyed 

 " by wild cats. Guinea fowls are indigenous to Rodriguez, and were 

 " found when the island was first inhabited. — In former times there 

 '' were a great number of large green parrots, but they died away 

 " after the large fire which destroyed the forests on the western side 

 " of the island." 



** Bones of the 'Dodo' are still to be found in some caverns. 

 " Pilot Bandorous has the bones of a Avhole Dodo." 



I may tell you here, that I am bringing you some Dodo bones, 

 also the large stone, always found with the bones, which the bird 

 carried in its stomach (probably for the purpose of digestion). 

 From the above notes it will be seen that the deer, peculiar to 

 Rodriguez, are not the true Sambur {Rusa aristoteUs), but a cross 

 between these animals and the Borneo deer or, as some say, the 

 Javanese animal. The Mauritius deer is, I believe, identical with 

 the Sambur, having been originally introduced there from Ceylon. 



MAURITIUS. 



Thirty-two years had elapsed since I last saw this beautiful island, 

 when as Lieut, in H. M.S. " Wasp," I planted the Union Jack wpon 



