Didunculidæ (didungkulide)

pl. [NL., bidæ, represented by the genus Didunculus. Didunculus (di-dung' kū-lus), n. [NL., dim. of Didus, the generic name of the dodo. "See Di dus.] A remarkable genus of pigeons, constituting the subfamily Didunculina of the family Columbida, or made the type of a different family, Didunculidæ. It is considered to be the nearest living representative of the dodo, whence the name. Tooth-billed Pigeon ( Didunculus str i giro str is). The genus is also called Gnathodon, from the denticulation of the lower mandible. The tooth-billed pigeon of the Samoan islands, D. str i giro str is, is the only species; it is already a rare bird, and is likely to become extinct. The color is blackish; the total length is about 14 inches; the beak, besides being toothed, is remarkably large and strong, with a very convex culmen, like that of a bird of prey.