No attempt has been made to quote all books in which extinct birds have
been mentioned; not only would that mean a tedious, long work, and a book
in itself, but, the repetitions being so numerous, it would have been of
very little use. On the other hand, I have tried to quote the most
important literature referring to Extinct Birds, and I have specially been
anxious to cite and verify the principal ancient literature. Well known
general works on birds in which extinct species have, of course, also been
mentioned, are, as a rule, not quoted; such as: The 27 volumes of the
Catalogue of Birds; Brisson's Ornithology; Daubenton's, Buffon's and
Montbeillard's works; Latham's Ornithological Writings; Linnaeus' Systema
Naturae in all its editions; Vieillot's writings; popular natural histories
and school books; Brehm's Thierleben in its various editions; Finsch's
Papageien; Gray's and Sharpe's Hand-lists; Dubois' Synopsis Avium, lists of
specimens in Museums, and many others, in which extinct birds are as a
matter of course mentioned.
Three most complete detailed bibliographies must be named: The
"Bibliography of the Didinae," forming Appendix B. of Strickland's "Dodo
and its Kindred" (1848), the Bibliography of _Alca impennis_ by Wilhelm
Blasius in the new Edition of Naumann, vol. XII, pp. 169-176 (1903), and
the Bibliography referring to the Moas by Hamilton, in the Trans. New
Zealand Institute XXVI and XXVII (1894, 1895).
Most of the books and pamphlets quoted hereafter are in my library at the
Zoological Museum at Tring, in the ornithological part of which Dr. Hartert
and I have been specially interested for many years. Those books that are
not in my library are marked with an asterisk, but several of these I have
been able to consult in other libraries.
The chronological order appeared to be best suited to the particular
subject treated of. {xvi}
1580 or 90. COLLAERT, ADRIAN. Avium vivae icones, in aes incisae &
editae ab Adriano Collardo.
(On one of the plates is figured the "Avis Indica." This figure
seems to have been the original of the representations in Dubois'
and Leguat's works.)
1601. JACOB CORNELISZ NECK. Het tweede Boek, Journael oft
Dagh-register, inhoudende een warachtig verhael, etc., etc.
Middelburch, Anno 1601.
(On picture No. 2, page 7, the Dodo is figured and described as
follows: "Desen Voghel de is soo groot als een Swaen, gaven hem de
naem Walchvoghel, want doen wy de leckere Duyfkens ende ande cleyn
ghevoghelte ghenoech vinghen, doen taelden wy niet meer naer desen
Voghel." This appears to be the first mention of the Dodo in
literature.)
1605. CLUSIUS. Caroli Clusii Atrebatis ... Exoticorum libri decem:
Quibus Animalium, Plantarum, Aromatum historiae describuntur. Ex
Officina Plantiniana Raphelengii, 1605.
(On p. 100 van Neck's Dodo is reproduced, on p. 103 the Great Auk,
sub nomine "Mergus Americanus.")
1606. DE BRY. Achter Theil der Orientalischen Indien, begreiffend
erstlich ein Histor. Beschr. d. Schiffahrt, so der Adm. Jacob von Neck
ausz Hollandt, etc., etc. Frankf. 1606.
(Figure and mention of the Dodo.)
1619. JACOB CORNELISZ NECK. Historiale Beschryvinghe, Inhoudende een
waerachtich verhael vande veyse ghedaen met acht Schepen van Amsterdam,
etc., etc. Amsterdam, 1619.
(Evidently another edition of Neck's voyage of 1601. On page 5 and
on Picture No. 2 (page 7), which is the same as in the other
editions of Neck's voyage, the Dodo is described. There is also a
French edition of 1601.)
1625. CASTLETON. Purchas his Pilgrimes. In five books.
(On p. 331, in chapter XV., first mention of the Réunion Dodo.)
1626. SIR THOMAS HERBERT. A relation of some years' Travaile.
(First mention of _Aphanapteryx bonasia_.)
1635. NIEREMBERG. Joannis Evsebii Nierembergii ... Historia Naturae,
maxime peregrinae, libris XVI distincta. In quibus rarissima Naturae
arcana, etc., etc., etc. Antverpiae MDCXXXV.
(Clusius' account and figure of the Dodo reproduced on pp. 231,
232. On p. 237 the Great Auk ("Goifugel") mentioned).
*1638 and 1651. CAUCHE. Rélations véritables et curieuses de l'isle de
Madagascar. (Two editions.)
(See _Aphanapteryx bonasia_.)
1640. PÈRE BOUTON. Relation de l'établ. des Français dep. 1635, en
l'ile Martinique, l'vne des antilles de l'Amérique.
(Describes, among other birds, the Aras and Parrots of the island
of Martinique.)
1646. BONTEKOE. Journ. of te gedenckw. beschr. van de Ost. Ind. Reyse.
Haarlem 1646.
(On p. 6 mention of the Réunion Dodo.)
1655. WORM. Museum Wormianum.
(On pp. 300, 301, lib. III, description and figure of a Great Auk
from the Faroe Islands.)
1658. HISTOIRE NATURELLE ET MORALE DES ILES ANTILLES DE L'AMÉRIQUE.
Enrichie de pleusieurs belles figures des Raretez les plus
considerables qui y sont d'écrites. Avec un vocabulaire caraïbe.
Rotterdam 1658.
(The title-page has no author's name, but according to Père du
Tertre the author is "Le Sieur de Rochefort, Ministre de
Rotterdam." Contains important notes on former bird-life on the
Antilles.)