The DIDUNCULUS, or TOOTHED PIGEON (_Didunculus strigirostris_), is an extraordinary bird, representing a family of Pigeons possessing a powerful body, moderately long neck, and large head. The beak, which is much higher than it is broad, has the upper mandible arched and hooked at its extremity, its margins being smooth; the tip of the curved under mandible, on the contrary, is furnished with three tooth-like indentations. The tarsus is strong, partially bare, and longer than the centre toe; all the toes are unconnected, and armed with broad hooked claws. The rounded wings extend, when closed, almost to the end of the moderate-sized and slightly-rounded tail. The head, throat, breast, and belly of this species are of a glossy greenish black; the hinder portions of the under side, the wings, tail, and feathers on the lower wing-covers rich, deep chestnut-brown; the quills are greyish black, and all the feathers on the upper part of the mantle decorated with a brilliant green spot at their tips; the lower back, wings, tail, and feathers of the lower tail-covers are of a beautiful dark chestnut-brown, and the quills greyish black. The eye is blackish brown; the bare patch that surrounds it and the cheek-stripes bright orange-red; the beak is also orange-red, with light yellow tip; the feet red, and the claws yellowish white. The length is twelve inches and a half, and breadth twenty-four inches; the wing measures seven inches, and tail three inches. The first description of the Didunculus was published by Sir William Jardine, in the "Annals and Magazine of Natural History." "We are," he says, "indebted to Lady Harvey, who purchased it at Edinburgh, for a specimen of this bird;" and adds, "We are aware of no existing description, though there is one allusion made to a bird which may turn out to be this. In Mr. Strickland's 'Report on the Present State of Ornithology,' it is stated that in the recent American voyage of discovery Mr. Titian Peale had discovered a new bird allied to the Dodo, which he proposed to name Didunculus." The subject remained in this state till 1862, when Dr. Bennett communicated his observations on this Pigeon to the _Sydney Morning Herald_. This communication was subsequently published in the _Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London_, from which the following account is taken:--