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“ During nearly thirty years that I have inhabited this colony, I have made frequent 
inquiries of old people as to the finding of the bones of large birds, and have offered liberal 
rewards for such ; and I have consulted with the late Dr. Ayres as to the spots most 
likely to contain them. We agreed that the floods which sweep the hill-sides and the 
ravines in the rainy season would be most likely to carry any remains into the sea; 
and this would doubtless have been the case here, but for the stoppage occasioned by 
the sand-down. (Signed) “ George Clark:. 1865.” 
The above “ Statement ” was authenticated by the following testimony : — 
“ Having visited the place with Mr. Clark, I can vouch for the truth of the facts 
herein mentioned. (Signed) “ William Thomas Banks, 
“ Civil Chaplain, Mauritius.” 
“The Rev. W. T. Banks, Civil Chaplain at Mahebourg, in this diocese, and Mr. 
George Clark, Master of the Government School at Mahebourg, are well known to me, 
and deserving implicit credit for their statements as to matters of fact. 
(Signed) “Vincent N. Mauritius. Oct. 6, 1865.” 
§ 2. Description of the Skeleton. (Plate III.) 
The bones of the Dodo (Didus ineptus, Linn.) discovered by Mr. Clark, under the 
above circumstances, which have reached me up to the present date (December 20th, 
1865) are the following : — 
Name. Number of bones or parts. 
Cranium and lower jaw, in parts 14 
Vertebrae and pelvis 30 
Ribs 22 
Sternum 2 
Scapular arch, in parts 7 
Humerus, ulna, radius 6 
Femora 5 
Tibiae 6 
Fibulae 4 
Metatarsals 4 
Total number of parts of skeleton of the Dodo 100 
The known characters of the skull and metatarsus of the Didus ineptus served to 
identify those bones as belonging to that species : the agreement in relative size, colour, 
condition, and locality left no room for hesitation in referring the other bones in the 
above list to the same speciesh They belong, however, to four or five individuals 
' So determined, subsequent sets of bones transmitted from the Mauritius, and from which I was privileged to 
select the most perfect specimens for the present memoir, got into the market and were sold by auction since the 
present memoir was in type, as bones certified by me to be of the Dodo. I have to express my sincere and 
