Book II. O^^IT HO LO QT, i^ 



i[i|J IV. 



TkDodo, called byClufm Gallus galliriaceUs peregriniis, by Nkremberg Cygnns 

 cucullatus, by Bontius Dronte. 



THis Exotic Bird, found by the Hollanders in the Ifland called * Cygnta or Cerne * rhit t j? the 

 by the Portuguese Mauritius Ifland by the Low Dutch, of thirty miles com- Wan 

 pafs, famous efpecially for black Ebony, did equal or exceed a Swan in bignefs, but 

 was of a far different (hape : For its Head was great, covered as it were with a 

 certain membrane refembling a hood : Befide,itsBill was not flat and broad, but thick 

 and long \ of a yellowifti colour next the Head, the point being black : The upper 

 Chap was hooked -■> in the nether had a bluiih (pot in the middle between the yellow 

 and black part. They reported that it is covered with thin and (hort feathers, and 

 wants Wings, inftead whereof it hath only four or five long, black feathers 5 that the 

 hinder part of the body isyery fat and fletiby, wherein for the Tail were four or five 

 fmall curled feathers, twirled up together, of an afti-colour. Its Legs are thick ra- 

 ther than long, whofe upper part, as far as the knee, is covered with black feathers 5 

 the lower part, together with the Feet, of a yellowifti colour: Its Feet divided into 

 four toes, three (and thole the longer) (landing forward, the fourth and (horteflr 

 backward 5 all furnifhed with black Claws. After I had compofed and writ down 

 the Hiftory of this Bird with as much diligence and faithfulnels as I could, I hapned 

 to fee in the hbu(e of Peter Pawius, prirriary Profeffor of Phytic in the Uhiverfity 

 of Ley den, a Leg thereof cut off at the knee^ lately brought over out of Mauritius 

 hislfland. It was not very long, from the knee to the bending of the foot being bur 

 little rriore than four inches, but of a great thicknels, fo that it was almoft four inches 

 in compafs, and covered with thick- (etfcales, on the upper fide broader, and of a yel- 

 lowifti colour,on the under [or backfide ofthe Leg] leffer and dusky. The upper fide 

 of the Toes was alfo covered with broad fcales,the under fide wholly callous. The Toes 

 were (hort for fo thick a Leg j For the length ofthe greateft or middlemoftToe to the 

 nail did not much exceed two inches, that ofthe other Toe next to it (carce came up 

 to two inches : The back-toe fell (bmething (hort of an inch and half: But the Claws 

 of all were thick, hard, black, lefs than an inch long 5 but that of the back-toe longer 

 than the reft,eXceeding an inch. The Mariners in their dialect gave this bird the name 

 o£Wdlghvogel,t\\d£ is, anaufeous, or yellowifti bird : Partly becaufe after long boyling 

 its fleftibecame not tender,but continued hard,and of a difficult concoction 5 excepting 

 the Bread and Gizzard, which they found to be of no bad reliih 5 partly becaufe they 

 could eafily get many Turtle-Doves, which were much more delicate and pleafantto 

 the Palate. Wherefore it was no wonder that in companion of thofe they defpifed 

 this, and faid they could well be content to be without it. Moreover they faid, that 

 they found certain (tones in its Gizzard : And no wonder, for all other birds as well as 

 thefi jwallowftones, to ajfijlthem in grinding their meat. Thus far Clufius. 



* Bontius writes, that this Bird is for bignefs of mean fize, between an Oflrkh and *jifcft&fa 

 ^Turkey, from which it partly differs in (hape, and partly agrees with them, efpecially «► MiAh.m-: 

 with the African Ofiriches, if you confider the Rump, quils, and feathers : So that it ifo^cTpT/?; 

 (hews like a Pigmy among them, if you regard the (hortnefs of its Legs. It hath a' 

 great, ill-favoured Head, covered With a kind of membrane refembling a hood : 

 Great, black Eyes, a bending, prominent, fat Neck : An extraordinary long, ftrong, 

 bluifti white Bill, only the ends of each Mandible are of a different colour, that of 

 the upper black, that of the nether yellowifti, both (harp-pointed and crooked. It 

 gapes huge wide, as being naturally very voracious. Its body is fat, round, co- 

 vered with foft, grey feathers, after the manner of an Ofiriches: In each fide inftead 

 of hard Wing-feathers or quils, it is furniftied with fmall foft-feathered Wings, of at 

 yellowifti afti- colour 5 and behind the Rump, inftead of a Tail, is adorned with five' 

 fmall curled feathers of the fame colour. It hath yellow Legs, thick, but very (hort 5 

 four Toes in each foot, folid, long, as it werefcaly, armed with ftrong, black Claws. 

 It is a flow-paced and ftupid bird, and which eafily becomes a prey to the Fowlers. 

 Theflefh, efpecially of the Breaft, is fat* efculent, and fo copious, that three or four 

 Dodos will fometimes fuffice to fill an hundred Seamens bellies. If they be old, or 

 • not wellboyled, they are of difficult conco&ion, and are falted and ftored up for 

 provifion of victual. There are found in their ftomachs ftones of an afti-colour of di- 

 vers figures and magnitudes j yet not bred there as the common people and Seameii 



X fancyv 



