234 



AYES. 



in Xew Zealand, where some bones of it have been found, and a tradition of its destruction is preserved Ijy tbo 



inliiilutants.] 



^T. 1*. — We cannot -witli propriety admit into this series, species so little known, or so ill-auilicnti- 



caieil, as those which compose the genus of 



Dodos (Didus, Lin.), — 



Tlie first species of wliicli (Z^. />N7;///.:0 i^ only known from the description of it by the early Dutch navi,i,^ator.s, 



preserved in Clusius {E.rot. p. 99), and by an oil-paint- 

 injj, of the same epoch, copied by Edwards, pi. 294 ; for 

 the description by Herbert is puerile, and all the rest 

 are copied from Clusius and Edwards. It seems that 

 the species has entirely disappeared, for at the present 

 time there is only a foot of it extant in the British Uu- 

 seam, and an ill-preserved head in the Ashniolean Mu- 

 seum at Oxford. The be;ik ajii.iars to be not without 

 some rfsemblance to that of the Awks, and the foot 

 would resemble that of the Penp;uins, bad it been pal- 

 mated. [Since this was written, the author personally 

 examined these last precious remains of the now extinct 

 Dodo, and was not merely satisfied of their validity and 

 total ^^cneric distiTictness, but expressed an opinion 

 that the foot also preserved at Oxford was specilically 

 different from that in the British Museum.] 



The second species (D. soliiarms) rests on the sole 

 testimony of Letruat (Voj/. i. p. 98), a man who has mis- 

 represented well-known species of animals, as the IJip- 

 popotamus and Jlanati. 



The third, or Bird of Nazareth (D. )>n:arc)i>fs), is 

 only known from the account of Francois Carechi, who 



considers it the same as the hrst species, trivin? it however but three toes, while all the others allow that bird to 



have four. No one has been able to inspect any of these birds since the time of those voyaLcers. 



THii Apteryx, Shaw, — • 

 Appears, of all Birds, to have the wings most completely reiluccd to simple nnlinients. 



Its general 

 The feet aUo bear some rcseial.)Iance to tlmsc of 

 The beak is very long, slcmler, marked on each 



. 116.— ']■ 



flit III i^ that of a rengiiin, and size that of a Goose. 

 the IV'nguins, but are not desciibed to he )>a!maied. 

 siib:- with a longitudinal groove, and furnished 

 witli a membrane at its base : [the nostrils arc 

 Itlaeed at the top of the iij)per mandible be- 

 tiradi, wliich jiasses bryjiMl the under one]. 

 Ming reduced to a liule ^tump, terminated liy a 

 linok. 



[Several specimens of this sin<?ular bird have re- ~.- 



rently been received, more particularly in England, ^-^'.-i 

 ;iiul its characters arc nnw ti.lcraiily detrrniitird. It "" - 

 b:is no relationship \\lialc\ cr \\ itli tin.' IViiL^iiin uTdUp, ..:j_^ 

 but thrre is every reason to place it in the present 

 I'.iuiily. From all other birds, it differs in the coni- 

 jileteness of its diaphraijni, and in the absence of abdummal air cells ; none of its bones are hollow. The sternum 

 is exceeding;ly reduced, u ith one deep posterior emargination on each side, and also a pair of anomalous perfora- 

 tii.ms or foramina towards the middle : the ribs are extraordinarily broad, and a single pair of vocal muscles are 

 attached to the coracoida: stomach but sli^ditly muscular, and intestines of mean Icnj^-th, with moderate-sized 

 ro2cn.. The feathers have no accessory plume, and their shafts are prolon^'ed considerably beyond the barb ; 

 there are many long vibrissa about ihr ba^r of the bill, \\li[(ii is invrstrd with a ceral membrane. The feet have 

 a short and elevated hind-toe, the claw of wbicli is aloiK^ (externally visilile. The dimensions of the female appear 

 to exceed those of the male, and her bill is lon,a:er. Size that of a domestic fowl, and colour (.lei.'p brown. 



This very interesting bird is nocturnal in its time of action, and subsists on insects. It runs with rapidity, and 

 defends itself vii;orou:ily with its feet. Its nati\(.' name is KiriJiiil, deri\"ed from its cry.] 



The f;imi!y of 



Pjif.sstrostres — 

 Comprehends a ninidier of genera willi elongated tarsi, in wliieli the l)aek-toe is either quite 

 absent, or so short as nut to reach the ground. Bill moderate, hut strong enough to penetrate 



