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des nuees, et a la fois voit-on monter si espesse fumee qu’on 
ne peut a peine veoir. 
“ II y a aussi une grande multitude de tortues d'incroyable 
grandeur, veoire si grandes cue nous pouvions marcher a 
quatre sur une tortue, et y rampa encore et pouvions a dix 
asseoir es escailles.” 
The Dutch and those who followed them consumed these 
Turtles at such a rate that the species has almost disappear- 
ed. Their bones only remain at Flacq specially where 
the Dutch afterwards established themselves. These bones are 
incrusted with calcareous deposit and numerous specimens 
are to be found in our collections. 
It is unfortunately not so with the bird which the Portu- 
guese found in large numbers, and mistook for swans “ Cirne.” 
“ Aussi d’autres sortes d’oyseaux de la grandeur de nos 
cygnes, estrangement testus, et sont sans ailes mais au lieu 
d’aisles, ont-ils 3 ou 4 plumes noires et au lieu de cap, ont-ils 
4 ou 5 plumettes crespues de couleur grisatre. Ces oyseaux 
furent de nous nommes oiseaux de Nauses, partie pour ce 
quhls devoyent si longtemps cuire, fort coriaces, mais estaient 
medecine pour l’estomach et la poitrine, partie par ce qu’eus- 
mes assez des torterelles qui estaient beaucoup plus delicates 
et savorables.” 
It was therefore the Dodo, or Dronte (Didus Ineptus) and 
perhaps also the Solitaiue which is another species of the 
same genus, birds, as you are aware, of an extinct race, con- 
fined to the three islands of Mauritius, Bourbon and Rodri- 
gues. 
Our Societv has been fortunate enough on two occasions 
to send to Europe remains of this singular bird, the Dodo. 
In 1830, the Secretary the late Mr. J. Desjardins addressed 
to G. Cuvier the fragments which had been discovered in a 
cavern at Rodrigues and consisting of a sternum, a cranium 
and 4 bones of the extremities. 
In 1849, the Secretary'forwarded to Mr. Strickland who ac- 
cepted them with lively gratitude, two very perfect torsal bo- 
nes supposed to have belonged to the Dronte but ascertained 
to have belonged to the Solitary bird, and also discovered at 
Rodrigues. 
