109 — 
Sciences of Mauritius ” will find the means of saving the last 
examples of a contemporary of the Dodo and Solitaire, 
London, April 1874. 
(Signed hy) 
Jos. D. Hooker, P. R. S. 
H. B. Er erf, P. R. G. S. & R, A. S. 
Charles Darwin, T. R. S. 
Richard Owen. 
John Ktek, P. L. S., IT. M. Political Agent 
and Consul General. 
Alfred Newton, M.A., F. R, S , V. P. Z. S. 
Zoological Department, April 25th 187-1, 
Dear Sir, 
I beg to transmit to you as thF President of the R. So- 
ciety of Arts and Sciences of Mauritius a copy of a memorial 
signed by the Presidents of the Royal and R. Geographical 
Societies of London, and other gentlemen who have paid 
special attention to the Natural History of the Mascarenes ; 
and forwarded by this mail to His Excellency Sir A. Gordon. 
“ The Society over which you preside, and you yourself 
have taken such an active interest in the elucidation of the 
History of the Fauna of those islands that I feel confident 
you will favourably receive and support the proposal conveyed 
in the m- m trial, if there are no serious obstacles to its being 
carried out. 
“ With our imperfect information as regards the period 
when Alialra will he occupied we thought it best to lose no 
time in presenting the memorial. But even if that period 
should he more distant than we were led to suppose, you 
