The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-02-08
ABOUT BIRDS.
A Skeleton OF the DOdO DiscOvered-Raro
Birds Found in Australia ana Eng
land.
A DoDo,

n sk elefOu OF the DOuO DiScOVered-Hnro
Birds Found in Australia ana Eng
land.
DoDo,
1t appears from circumstantial narrative
given by journal published in'tbe Mauritius-
the M0IuItius Commercial Gdzette-that q pro.
perty owner in that island is the happy pos
SCISSOR of skeleton of the dodo found upon his
own estate. We copy the story:-
"Mr. CASTOR dc Bissy recently caused to be
dug from a marsh on his property, know as La
mare aux Songes,' the alluvium contained In tt,
to use as manure. After digging two or three
feet the men came in contact with bones OF tor
toises and deer the former in vast numbers. AS
soon as Mr.. Clark heard of this, he went to Mr..
de Bissy and stated to HIM what had long been
his opinion as 10 the position in which dodo's
bones might be found, requesting him TO give
orders to the diggers to lay by whatever bones
ordered that Mr.. 6iarEs request s should o IS be
fulfilled Mr.. Clark visited tue estate many
times, but without obtaining any satisfactory IN
telgence. He at length engaged two men to
enter the dark-colored water, about three feet
Deep and feel IN the soft mud at the bottom
with their feet.
''In a short time he had the inexpressible
satisfaction of finding broken tarsus, an entire
tibia, and part OF another. He at once COM
menced operations IN earnest, and has been tor
tunate enough to find every important bone of
that remarkable Dird, so that an experienced
person can we'll build adodo from these remains
the toes being the only parts wanting. The
skull of this bird was of amazing thickness, and
the cerebral cavity very small. The beak is OF
great strength and solidity. as are the condyles
OF the lower mandIb)e. Some of the cervicaI
vertebr@ are more than two inches in diameter,
and OF very elaborate structure The sternum-
of which the form shows strong resemblance
to that OF the pigeon tribe-in some specimens
is more than five inches wide and seven long.
The keel is quarter of an inch thick, and
about an inch deep in the deepest
part, which is at the centre; and the sternum is
there three quarters OF inch in thickness, but it
thins of to q sharp edge az the margin. The
humerus is less than four inches in length, and
the shaft only about three-elghths OF an inch in
diameter, and the ulna under thee inches, and
less than quarter OF an inch in thickness.
Some lemurs are nearly seven inches long and
more than an iuch in diameter, aid tibie nine
inches long, aud the upper condyles two inches
in diameter. The tarsometatarsi are OF very
solid bone, and have been found in greater num-
bers than any others. They are about the length
OF those OF a good sized turkey, but more than
twice the thickness. The verteorte are very
strong, and show that the spinal cord was fully
double the size of that OF the turkey.
''Alr. Clark deposited the first specimens of
dodo's bones he obtained in the museum at the
Royal College, as well as those Of the hamingo
the existence OF which III Mauritius was remem.
bered by the parents OF persons now living He
has also sent complete set Of dodos bones to
Professor Owen, ior the British Museum"
PROFESSOR OWEN ON THE DoDo.
At the last meeting of the Geological Society
in London, Professor owen read paper on the
oodo, which. he said, was one of the curlosities
Of natural history, on account of its entire ex-
tincuon and the paucity OF its remains. Till a
very short time ago nothing but very few frag-
ments OF IFS bones, and those scattered over sew
eral museums, we're known 10 exist. In 1868,
however, MIR. Owen, having been inrro-
duced by Miss Burdett Coutts to tho
Bishop of Maurltius, endeavored to interest
the right reverend prelate In a search
for further relics of the dodo in his diocese;
and in November last he received from his lord
ship q letter. accompanying a collection which
discovered nv M
ter OF the Government school i'll the island. and
an ardent naturalist. These comprised no fewer
than hundred bones and fragments OF bones,
which bad apparently belonged 70 four or five
individuals, somewhat differing from each other
in size. The dodo was undoubtedly pigeon, but
1t was fightless, and its structure was modified in
conformity with this circumstance. 1t was some-
what larger than a turkey-cock, and Mr.. Clarke's
discoveries completely authenticate the we'll
known portrait OF it in the British Museum. 1t
was addicted in some measure to animal food,
and 1t was doubtless this fact that made its flesh
less paatable to the Dutch settlers of the six
teenth and seventeenth centuries than they
found that of its Uoidnt CongenuS A writer,
quoted by Sir Thomas Brown reports that he
saw specimen exhibited in a raree show, and
he adds that its keeper pointed out to him a
heap OF pebbles, some of which we're as large as
nutmegs, and which he said the creature ate.
1t may be turther observed "in this connection
that the extreme smallness OF the dodos brain
fully entitled 1t 10 its distinguished epithet of
'Inept." Mr. Owen also described bone OF a
large parrot which had been sent home by Mr..
! Clarke The species was probably now extinct
| but further remains would ho doubt ere long be
received, and would determine the birds sub
generic position.
These discoveries and learned disquisltions JUS
tify the faith expressed in the old rhymes -
what disbe ieVe the Dodol
| The like was ntver heard!
Deprive the face OF nature
W such w0ndrous birdr
| / always loved the DOdo;
When, quite little boy,
II Iooxxra ~ fYa aVraxra (anld IN
NV heart beat high with joYP
NEW BIRD IN AUSTRALIA.
| A Melbourne paper states that very remark
! able bird was killed a short time ago at Aliens
ford, Australia. 1t had the neck of heron
short thick legs, was web-iooted like duck,
portions of its coat like SEAL and wings like a
seagull, but OF great length. 1t is supposed that
the bird is plotus-a species of darter-but is
! seldom seen on that coast.
RARE BIRD IN ENGLAND.
An English provincial paper (the West Sussex
| Gdzete) says, that as a young man named Collins
| was wheeling barrow in a lane in Rogate, in
December last loaded with flesh for dogs, large
| bird alighted on the flesh and began rapidly to
| make meal from it. The young man stepped
| back 10 the roadside and took long piece of
string from his pocket with which to form a
moose. The bud had flown a short distance
/ during this operation. Two sticks we're placed
on the flesh and the moose lad on
| them. With the end OF the string In
in his hand, he stood back three or four
| yards the bird soon came back, and stepping
| INTO the moose was easily captured. 1t was kept
| several days alive but from being confined IN so
| small a place its feathers became worn. The
! bird was presented to Mr. A. Il. Knox, the author
| OF "0rnithoogical Rambles in Sussex" ana this
| gentleman has supplied the following descrip-
tlon:-It is the only adult specimen OF the
| Pamarne slkuS have ever met with in Sussex,