What am I bid for two Dodo bones reported to have been recovered from a swamp in Mauritius?

                                                           

Colonisation of Mauritius by the Dutch is thought to have lead to the demise of the Dodo

BIDDING has begun at auction for what are said to be two foot bones from the world's most famous extinct bird species - a Dodo.

Both are about 4 cm long.

They are being sold as a single Lot - 50 - by Essex auctioneers  Sworders in their August 18 'Out of the Ordinary' sale.

Says a note in the catalogue: "The foot bones on offer are from a group of Dodo bones discovered in 1885 during the investigation of the Mare aux Songes swamp, Mauritius, by schoolmaster George Clarke. 

"Hearing that a few bones had been found in this area, Clarke hired local servants to wade through a swamp and feel for further bones with their feet.

"The dodo has been extinct since the 1680s. 

"Its story  is particularly important as it demonstrates one of the first occasions that humans realised that man's actions alone caused a species to die out.

"The Dodo was related to the pigeon family and successfully lived on the island of Mauritius. 

"With no natural predators, they became flightless and adapted to happily living life on the ground until the Dutch colonised the island in 1638, at which point they became hunted for sport. 

"With the colonisation came new species to the island, such as rats, dogs, cats and pigs which all contributed to the species' extinction.

The Dodo is one of the birds referred to in the famous fantasy book, Alice in Wonderland. 

Online bidding started at £2,000, but it is thought it may reach up to £4,000. 

                                                       

Them bones