o/o 



XIII. On a Picture supposed to represent the Bidine Bird of the Island of Bourbon 

 {Reunion). By Alfred Newton, M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. 



Bead February lith, 1867. 



[Plate LXII.] 



PiCTOEIxiL evidence contributes so largely to what we know of the Dodo and its 

 allies, that in calling the attention of the Society to the old water-colour drawing now 

 exhibited I should not deem any apology requisite, were it not that this drawing has 

 been already displayed at a meeting only a few months ago. But as on that occasion 

 the exhibitor, Mr. Tegetraeier, did not place on record the remarks he made (P. Z. S. 

 1866, p. 201), and as I have reason to believe these remarks did not touch the points to 

 which I am about to advert, I trust I may be excused for again submitting the drawing 

 to the inspection of the Society. I must first of all express my thanks to Mr. Tegetmeier 

 for the opportunity he has given me of examining che drawing, and also to the owner of 

 it, Mr. C. Dare, of Clatterford, in the Isle of AVight, for his kindness in permitting it to 

 be copied for our ' Transactions.' 



It will be remembered that in the late Mr. H. E. Strickland's work, 'The Dodo and 

 its kindred,' the former existence of at least three distinct species of Didine birds was 

 very clearly demonstrated. Of these the true Dodo {Bidus ineptus) was presumed to 

 have been peculiar to the Island of Mauritius, the Solitaire [Pezophaps solitarius) to 

 that of Rodriguez, and tlie third (which Mr. Strickland left unnamed) to that of 

 Bourbon, or, as it is now called. Reunion. Of the first tAvo there were then no incon- 

 siderable remains known ; but of the third it was believed that nothing existed, save a 

 few scanty notices, which were industriously compiled by that lamented naturalist from 

 the narratives of various voyagers. The eariiest of these, Tatton, who visited Bourbon 

 in 1613, speaks of "a great fowl of the bigness of a Turkie, very fat, and so short- 

 winged that they cannot fiie, beeing white." In 1618 Bontekoe passed three weeks in 

 the island ; and his account confirms the former statement. He calls the birds 

 " Bodeersen" the name often applied to the true Bidus incpins, whence we may suppose 

 they generally resembled that species ; but he does not mention their colour. Carre, in 

 1668, speaks of the Bourbon brevipennate, " II ne ressembleroit pas mal a un Coq 

 d'Inde, s'il n'avoit point les jambes plus hautes. La beaute de son plumage fait 

 plaisir a voir. C'est une couleur changeante qui tire sur le jaune." In the following 



VOL. VI. — PART VI. ° F 



