Part 5

“+My dear Sir+,—when I had the pleasure of conversing with you for a short time in London two years ago, I promised to acquaint you with any facts or discoveries which might come to my knowledge, likely to interest you in connexion with Madagascar. I have not anything as yet to communicate definitely respecting that island in the way of natural history, but I have strong reasons to believe that a discovery has been made here recently which will gratify you very much. Mr. George Clark, who has for many years devoted himself to the work of teaching in this island with great success, is an ardent student of natural history, and has explored many parts of the island in search of information on the subject. From careful observation he was led to conclude that no remains of the Dodo were likely to be found in any of our watercourses, because of their steep descent and the immense rush of water which sweeps down them at times. But he had also frequently expressed his opinion that in certain marshes, with high banks of sand between them and the sea, such remains would probably be found. In one of these places he has found several of the bones of the Dodo (as he believes), and is now forwarding them home for your inspection.

“At his request, I write these lines to ask for your kind care of his interests in securing any reward which may accrue to him. It would be a great pleasure to me to find that his discovery was really important, and likely to be useful to himself; for he has pursued these and similar investigations with an amount of intelligence, skill, and diligence, in his vacation-times (by no means extensive), which deserves much credit and encouragement.

“The book which you kindly sent me on the Aye-Aye has been read by many, and especially by medical men, with much interest. I entrusted the other copy to Mr. John Douglas for the Society here.

“I remain, my dear Sir, “Your very faithful Servant, (Signed) “+Vincent N. Mauritius+.” “Professor Owen.”

This letter was accompanied with the following “Statement” by Mr. George Clark, Master of the Government School at Mahébourg, Island of Mauritius:—

“On the estate called ‘Plaisance,’ about three miles from Mahébourg, in the island of Mauritius, there is a ravine of no great depth or steepness, which, apparently, once conveyed to the sea the drainings of a considerable extent of circumjacent land, but which has been stopped to seaward, most likely for ages, by an accumulation of sand extending all along the shore. The outlet from this ravine having been thus impeded, a sort of bog has been formed, called ‘La Mare aux Songes,’ in which is a deposit of alluvium, varying in depth, on account of the inequalities of the bottom, which is formed of large masses of basalt, from three to ten or twelve feet. The proprietor of the estate a few weeks ago conceived the idea of employing this alluvium as manure; and shortly after, the men began digging in it; when they had got to a depth of three or four feet they found numerous bones of large tortoises, among which were a carapace and a plastron pretty nearly entire, as also several crania.

“When I heard of this, it immediately struck me that the spot was one of the most likely possible to contain bones of the Dodo, and I gave directions to the men working there to look out for any bones they might find. Nothing, however, was turned up but a fragment of what I supposed to be the humerus of a large bird. This encouraged me to look further; and my search was rewarded by the discovery of several tibiæ, more or less perfect, two tarsi, one nearly perfect pelvis, and fragments of three others.

“These were found imbedded in a black vegetable mould, the lighter-coloured specimens being near the springs. My reasons for believing these to be remains of the Dodo are:—the certainty that that bird once existed in Mauritius; the similarity of these bones to what the representations of the Dodo which I have seen would lead one to expect, particularly the breadth of the pelvis, the stoutness of the tibiæ and tarsi, and the shortness of the latter; the favourable nature of the spot in which they were found for the haunts of such birds when living—a sheltered hollow with two springs in it; the non-existence, actual or traditional, in Mauritius of any bird to which bones such as these could have belonged; the indubitable antiquity of these bones, proved by the deposit of alluvium which covered them.

“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 Mahébourg, in this diocese, and Mr. George Clark, Master of the Government School at Mahébourg, 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 Vertebræ and pelvis 30 Ribs 22 Sternum 2 Scapular arch, in parts 7 Humerus, ulna, radius 6 Femora 5 Tibiæ 6 Fibulæ 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 species. They belong, however, to four or five individuals varying somewhat in size. With the bones of the Dodo were the end of the lower jaw of a broad-billed Parrot, two bones (radius) of a small Mammal, and part of the skull of a large Tortoise.

To the description of the Dodo’s bones I now proceed.

Vertebræ. (Plates III., IV., V., VIII., XI.)

The dorsal vertebræ are chiefly represented, in this series of bones, by three which are anchylosed together by their bodies and neural arches (Pl. V. figs. 1–5): the posterior articular surface of the body of the last of these vertebræ (ib., fig. 4, c) is subquadrate, longer in the vertical than the transverse direction, concave vertically, convex transversely, almost fitting, but being rather too small for, the anterior articular surface of the body of the first of the sacral series (Pl. VII. fig. 1, c). The difference is such as to indicate that only one dorsal vertebra may have intervened; and I conclude that the last of the three coalesced vertebræ is the penultimate dorsal. The anterior articular surface of the foremost of the three (Pl. IV. fig. 1, c) is 11 lines in transverse, and 4 to 5 lines in vertical diameter: it is concave transversely for the middle three-fifths, and convex transversely at the two outer fifths of its extent: it is more or less convex vertically throughout its extent. The bodies of these vertebræ are compressed and wedged-shaped, slightly expanded at their coalesced ends, produced below into subquadrate hypapophyses in the first and second (Pl. V. fig. 1, hy); while this process is restricted to the fore part (ib. hy 3), or may be represented only by a slight anterior production of the lower edge of the wedge, in the third (ib. fig. 5, hy 3).

The hypapophysis of the first of the three expands at its termination (Pl. IV. fig. 1, hy), with the hinder angle bent back to coalesce with the front one of the next hypapophysis, which is somewhat longer, and bent forward with a similar terminal expansion: a full elliptical space is intercepted by this terminal confluence of these hypapophyses (Pl. V. figs. 1 & 5, hy). Each vertebra shows an elliptical articular cavity (ib. figs. 1 & 5, p, p 3) for the head of the rib, near to the anterior articular surface; the long axis of this costal surface is directed from above obliquely downward and forward. The surface of the rib’s tubercle cuts obliquely the lower part of the free end of the diapophysis (Pl. IV. fig. 1, d).

The neural arch circumscribes a canal the anterior outlet of which (ib. fig. 1, n) is oval with the small end downward, 5 lines in vertical, and 3½ in transverse diameter: the sides of the neural canal slightly project inward above the lower third: the posterior outlet (Pl. V. fig. 4, n) is more regularly elliptical in form, and rather narrower in proportion to its vertical diameter. The neurapophysis sends off from the outer and fore part of its base a stout process, which expands and divides into zygapophyses (Pl. IV. fig. 1, z) and diapophyses (ib. d); the articular surface of the former is of a full oval shape, flat, looking obliquely upward and inward; the diapophyses extend outward and a little backward: the articular surface for the tubercle of the rib is transversely elliptical and nearly flat. The hinder part of the neurapophysis expands into the postzygapophyses: these have coalesced with the præzygapophyses in the succeeding vertebra (Pl. V. fig. 2, z), as has happened also between this and the third vertebra. In the last of the three vertebræ the postzygapophyses are entire (ib. z 3), and show very slightly concave, oval articular surfaces, looking obliquely downward and outward (ib. fig. 4, z). The conjugational foramina, continuously surrounded by bone, are a full ellipse, and large, the anterior one (ib. figs. 1 & 5, f) being 5½ lines in vertical diameter; the second (ib. f′) is somewhat less: these foramina are also rather larger in one of the specimens than in the other. The length of the three coalesced dorsals is the same in both, viz. 2 inches 3 lines. The neural spines have run together into a continuous ridge in fig. 1, ns; in fig. 5 the summit is broken off in both, leaving only the anterior angle of the foremost entire; in both this inclines forward; the hinder border of the third vertebra (fig. 1, ns) has the same vertical parallel as the back part of the centrum. The anterior margin of the base of the spine shows a rough surface for the attachment of ligament (Pl. IV. fig. 1, ns). A small foramen behind the base of each of the coalesced zygapophyses (Pl. V. fig. 2, z z) leads to a canal descending to the neural one, and indicates superiorly the limits of the otherwise continuously ossified neural arches.

In the series of detached vertebræ, one (Pl. V. figs. 6 & 7) indicates by its neural spine and hypapophysis a position at the base of the neck. The centrum is barely an inch in length; its anterior surface (ib. fig. 7, c) is narrow vertically, broad transversely; both fore and hind surfaces indicate freedom and extent of flexure. The hypapophysis has a broad, bituberculate base (ib. hy), but is limited in fore and aft extent to the middle third of the under surface of the centrum: its length is shown in fig. 6, hy. The parapophysis (fig. 7, p) is slender, and expands at both attachments, with an indication of a terminal surface. The diapophysis (d) has a larger costal surface: it sends forward a convex ridge midway between the di- and zygapophysis (z). The neural canal (fig. 7, n) has wider and more fully elliptical outlets than the hinder dorsal vertebræ, in relation to the greater extent of motion at the fore part of the series. I conclude that a free pleurapophysis (pl) existed, indicating the present to be the first of the dorsal series, as shown in Pl. III. The neural spine is short, broad, obtusely pointed, with a vertically oblong syndesmotic surface (fig. 7) before and behind. Each postzygapophysis (fig. 6, z′) supports an anapophysial tubercle (a).

A cervical vertebra from a position just in advance of the above has lost the neural spine, but retains the hypapophysis. This process (ib. figs. 8 & 9, hy) is compressed and directed obliquely downward and forward for an extent of 6 lines; the extremity is rounded: the length of the centrum of this vertebra is 1 inch 3 lines; the anterior articular surface is longest transversely, and concave in that direction, convex vertically; the proportions and curvatures are transposed in the posterior surface (fig. 9, c). The parapophysis (ib. p) is continued from the anterior border of the centrum to the middle; it is a depressed plate, confluent with the rib (ib. d). The diapophysis forms a short, obtuse projection above its anchylosis with the rib (ib. pl): this projects backward 7 lines in length, terminating obtusely, and circumscribing a vertebrarterial foramen (ib. v) of a full elliptic shape, 5½ lines in long diameter. The surfaces of the præzygapophyses (z) are larger, and look more upward and less inward, than in the preceding and the dorsal vertebræ: they are very slightly concave. Those of the postzygapophyses (fig. 8, z′), with a downward and slightly outward aspect, are in a similar degree convex. The neural canal, as usual in the cervical series, expands at its outlets, most so posteriorly (fig. 9, n); the middle of the upper surface of the neural arch is impressed by an elliptical, rough, ligamentous surface, which slightly rising in the middle is the sole indication of a neural spine. The upper surface of each postzygapophysis developes a tuberous anapophysis (figs. 8 & 9, a).

The three cervicals that succeed the axis show progressively sinking neural spines, which subside in the six following vertebræ (Pl. III.). The third cervical has also the hypapophysis (Pl. XI. fig. 3, hy).

In all the other cervicals of the present series the hypapophysis is wanting, but each parapophysis developes a plate (Pl. V. figs. 10 & 11, Pl. VIII. fig. 1, p) to form the sides of the hæmal canal through which the carotids ran; and the position of such vertebræ in the cervical series is indicated, respectively, by the degree of convergence of these processes, in none of which, where entire, have they met so as to circumscribe the canal: in some of these vertebræ, however, they are mutilated. They differ chiefly in the position and shape of the anapophyses (fig. 10, a), which advance from above the postzygapophyses (z′), converging towards the middle of the upper surface of the neural arch, being arrested, save in one instance, at the sides of the ligamentous surface occupying the common position of the base of the neural spine.