Raphus solitarius probably never existed. A large flightless ibis (extinct) from Reunion now bears the name Threskiornis solitarius. It is generally thought that this ibis is probably what the reported 'dodo' on the island actually were (and paintings of the 'dodo' were works of imagination based on the Mauritius dodo)
I did not check what is the history/origin of this species name, what I wrote is readable in the information table at the museum. Anyway, thanks for the info ...
yes there were real mounted/stuffed dodo at one time but stuffed animals have a limited lifespan, especially those from earlier days (techniques are better now, hence the term mounted rather than stuffed) and all fell victim to decay. The last real dodo in a museum was part of a collection at the Ashmolean Museum which was ordered burned in around 1775 because they were in such an advanced state of decay. This bird had been brought alive to England around 1600. Only the head and one foot were saved and these are now in the Natural History Museum in London.
There are many skeletal remains of dodos, mostly from subfossil deposits on Mauritius, but few are articulated or even complete. Those seen in museums are mostly casts.
The last real dodo in a museum was part of a collection at the Ashmolean Museum which was ordered burned in around 1775 because they were in such an advanced state of decay. This bird had been brought alive to England around 1600. Only the head and one foot were saved and these are now in the Natural History Museum in London.
