dodo. 375 



The female is sometimes brown, and sometimes light yellow, and 

 appears very beautiful : this has also a kind of widow's peak above 

 the bill, and the feathers on each side of the breast enlarge into two 

 white tufts, somewhat like the bosom of a woman ; the feathers of 

 the thighs rounded at the end, like shells ; and according to Leguat, 

 the bird has altogether a noble and elegant gait. 



Said to inhabit Rodrigue, and not uncommon ; but not met with 

 in flocks, scarcely more than two being found together. It makes 

 the nest in bye places, with leaves of the palm, a foot and a half 

 thick, and lays one egg, bigger than that of a Goose. The male 

 sits in turn, and does not suffer any bird to approach within two 

 hundred yards of the spot, while the hen is sitting, which is seven 

 weeks; the young one is some months before it is able to shift for 

 itself; the parents in the mean time are affectionate to it, and faithful 

 to each other afterwards, &c. 



It is also mentioned, that a stone is always found in the gizzard, 

 which perhaps may be no more than may be met with in all gra- 

 nivorous birds, serving merely to prove it to be of that race. — 

 Young birds though timid, are stupid enough to suffer the approach 

 of any one, but when grown up, are more shy, and will not be 

 tamed. Two of them were shipped from Bourbon, but soon died, 

 as they refused to eat. They are chaced in winter, viz. from March 

 to September, being then fat, and the young birds are much esteemed 

 for the table. 



3.— NAZARENE DODO. 



Didus Nazarenus, Ind. Orn. ii. 663. Gm. Lin. i. 728. 



Oiseau de Nazareth, O. de Nausee, Buf. i. 485. Cauche, Madag. 130. Borowsk. ii. 162. 



Nazarene Dodo, Gen. Syn. v. p. 4. 



BIGGER than a Swan. Bill large, bent downwards ; the whole 

 body covered with black down instead of feathers, but the wings 



