Clydia Jackson, age 11, of Baersve, N.C., for the question:

Where did the dodo live?

The real dodo of ancient fame lived on the island of Mauritius. Relatives of the dodo lived on the neighboring islands of Reunion and Rodriguez, These and wind‑swept islands in the Indian Ocean, eastward from the island of Madagascar.

The old dodo belonged to the pigeon family, though you would never guess it. He was twice as heavy as a fat goose. His legs ware covered with feathery pants and his tail was a fluffy poodle pompon. He had a pair of wings, but they were far too small and weak for flying.

The strong ocean winds made flying dangerous in any case. Andy long before man reached Mauritius, the big birds settled down to a life of lazy luxury on the ground. Thong became too fat to escape the men and the pigs and monkeys that came with the men. The last of the dodos perished in 1681. The big island dwelling cousin of the pigeon is now extinct.