98 
some years. According to this observer, the feathers of the male bird 
were greyish brown, and of the female fair, and dun-coloured on the 
breast, and they were carefully dressed and adjusted. The feet and bill 
were like those of a turkey, and the wings very small, and of no use for 
flight. In the gizzard of every specimen examined, a large flattish stone 
was found, whatever the age and sex of the bird. The birds lived in pairs 
alone, one pair being always at a considerable distance from another; one 
egg was laid, and hatched in seven weeks, but several months elapsed 
before the young bird could provide for itself. At a certain age, a number 
of the young ones were mated with each other in presence of several older 
ones, and each pair henceforth lived a solitary life. 
Since the time of Leguat, very little information had been published 
about the Island, though it was now inhabited. In IJ89 some bones were 
found there encrusted in stalagmite, and were removed to Paris. In 1831 
other bones were found, and deposited in the Andersonian museum of 
Glasgow, which closely resembled these. Leguat also mentioned another 
wingless bird, the gelinottes, or wood-hen, of a bright grey colour, with red 
list about the eyes. Bourbon was also once inhabited by wingless birds. 
Mr. W. "W. Coker, of Poole, Dorset, had copied a picture by a Persian 
artist, which contained a representation of a white dodo, in a very fat con- 
dition, unable to fly. Other birds were described in Leguat's memoir, a 
" oiseau bleu," a ei oiseau solitaire," &c, some of which were alive in 
1735. The paper concluded with an endeavour to recal the days when 
the dodo was the principal bird on the Mauritius. 
N.B. The Sectional Secretary wishes it to be understood that unless 
more interest is shown by the members, by attendance at the meetings, and" 
the preparation of papers, the meetings of this Section also will have to 
be discontinued. 
BOTANICAL SECTION. 
Thursday, Nov. 21st. — Mr. A. Leipner, President of the Section, 
in the chair. 
The Chairman threw out a suggestion to the members, that it would 
be very interesting to investigate the increase of the muscular tissue in 
plants, which he had reason to suppose was developed from the leaves in 
a descending order, whether from the cotyledon or true leaves. This might 
be done by planting seed and making an examination of the stem during 
the various stages of growth, in the case of exogenous and endogenous 
plants. Among the ferns, those having a creeping rhizome would be more 
difficult of examination than those having an ascending stem, and it would 
be necessary to count the scalariform ducts and vascular bundles when 
only one frond had been formed, and also notice the increase after the 
successive formation of others. 
The evening was spent by the members in preparing a number of speci- 
mens for the herbarium. 
