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find what I believe to be all the specimens sent to the Society by 

 Mr. Telfair. 



Upon my informing Mr. Mitchell of my success, that gentleman, 

 knowing the trouble and interest I had taken to recover them, 

 granted me permission to examine, compare, and describe them, and 

 to bring the subject before the Society. 



In the first place, we are led to believe (and I thuik without the 

 slightest doubt) that these bones came originally from the island of 

 Rodriguez. There cannot be any doubt, also, that Rodriguez and 

 the neighbouring islands were at one period inhabited by several spe- 

 cies of large birds. Whether any of the same species of these birds 

 inhabited diiferent islands, or whether each island was inhabited by 

 distinct species, is a question to which I beg most particularly to call 

 your attention : the most recent publication by Mr. Strickland and 

 Dr. Melville would lead us to believe that the true Dodo (Didus in- 

 eptus) was solely confined to the island of Mauritius, and another 

 species, known as the Solitaire, was said to be its representative on the 

 island of Rodriguez. If this be true, I should have the pleasure of 

 introducing to your notice the bones of at least two new species of 

 birds from that island : I do not howevc myself feel justified in so 

 doing, but believe some of the bones sent here by Mr. Telfair belong 

 to the true Dodo (Didus ineptus). There are also in the collection 

 (I think without doubt) bones of two other species, one of these 

 of much larger size than the Dodo, the other considerably smaller. 

 The bones in question having all the usual and well-known charac- 

 teristics of those of adult birds, we cannot therefore suppose the dif- 

 ferences which they present to be such as might arise from age ; and 

 on the other hand, you will perceive that the proportions are too dis- 

 similar to allow of our regarding them as having belonged to different 

 sexes of the same species. There often exists great difference of size 

 in the bones of the opposite sex, but I have never noticed any very 

 evident difference of proportion. These are to me satisfactory reasons 

 for considering them specifically distinct. But to return to the ques- 

 tion, — Was the Dodo found on the island of Rodriguez ? Sir Thomas 

 Herbert says it was ; and his evidence appears to me of much im- 

 portance, considering the number of years he spent travelling about, 

 visiting these islands, and collecting rare and curious things ; having 

 also repeatedly described the Dodo, and very probably brought one 

 to England. I am therefore inclined to regard the assertions made 

 by Sir Thomas Herbert with more respect than they have elsewhere 

 received. It may appear at first sight impossible that the same spe- 

 cies of birds which were destitute of the power oi sioimming or flying 

 could inhabit islands so far from each other ; but, were these islands 

 always in the state in which we find them 1 may they not at some 

 distant period have been united and formed part of the same land ? 

 In endeavouring in this manner to account for the existence of the 

 Dodo upon the island of Rodriguez as well as at Mauritius, it has 

 been remarked that this argument would not hold good, as the islands 

 in question were of volcanic origin : if this be the case, to account for 

 its existence at either place appears to me equally difficult. I am 



