called it a Dodo, and in the ende of a chymney in the chamber there lay a heape of large pebble stones, whereof hee gave 
it many in our sight, some as bigg as nutmegs, and the keeper told us shee eats them (conducing to digestion), and though 
I remember not how farr the keeper was questioned therein, yet I am confident that afterwards she cast them all againc. 
It appears that Sir Thomas Herbert visited the island oi Mauritius about 1627, and afterwards published several 
works on his travels, one of which was “A Relation of some yeares of Travaile begunne anno 1626 into Afrique and the 
greater Asia especially the territories of the Persian Monarchic and some parts of the Oriental Indies and lies adjacent. 
Bv T. H. Esquire. Fol. London 1634.” The following is an extract: — 
“ Furst here and here only and in Dfygarroys, is generated the Dodo, which for shape and rareness may antigonize the 
Phoenix of Arabia : her body is round and fat, few weigh lesse than fifty pound, are reputed of more lor wonder than food, 
greasie stomackes may seek after them, but to the delicate, they are offensiue and of no nourishment. 
“ Her visage darts forth melancholy, as sensible of Nature’s injurie in framing so great a body to be guided with 
complemental wings, so small and impotent, that they scruc only to prove her Bird. 1 he halfe of her head is naked, 
seeming couered with a fine vaile, her bill is crooked dounwards, in midst is the thrill, from which part to the end tis of a 
light greene, mixt with a pale yellow tincture; her eyes are small, and like to Diamonds, round and rowling ; her clothing 
downy feathers, her traine three small plumes, shot and inproportionable, her legs suting to her body, her pounces 
sharpe, her appitite strong and greedy, Stones and Iron are digested, which description will better be concerned in 
her representation," 
After the colonization of the island of Mauritius, the Dodos gradually diminished in numbers; and we learn from 
Leguat, who visited the island in 1693, that many of the species which were once abundant had become quite rare. He 
says, “ L'isle ctait autrefois toute remplie d'Oyes et de Canards sauvages ; de Poules d’eau, de Gehnottes, de Tortues de 
met et de terre ; mats tout cela est devenu fort rare." He makes no mention whatever of the Dodo ; so that we may con- 
sider that it had become nearly or quite extinct at that time. 
About the year 1712, Mauritius was colonized by the I H 'rench under the named the Isle de France. Since that 
date, we can find no record ol its existence; and M. Morel, a PTench official, who lived there in 1778, says that the oldest 
inhabitants had no recollection of such birds. 
The name Dodo was, in all probability, derived from the Dutch word Dodoor, meaning a sluggard, and would well 
apply, as the Dodo must have been slow and unwieldy in its movements. Sir T. Herbert, however, states that it is a 
Portuguese word; and as there is a word in that language ( Doudo) meaning “foolish," it is possible that it may have 
been derived from either source. 
1 he colors of the specimen figured m the plate are nearly the same as those of Savery’s picture of the Dodo in the 
Royal Gallery at Berlin. Another picture, by the same artist, preserved in the Belvedere at Vienna, differs somewhat 
in general color, and has the plumes more yellow; but as some of the records distinctly say “grayish plumes,” I have 
given them that color. 
