“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[23]. 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[24]. To the description of the Dodo’s bones I now proceed.