Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-29
GIGANTIC Binds.


Eggs $500 ApIece-RafIs Six Feet HIe h
Eagles Capable OF Carrying Four Or
Five Men.
The Museum Of Natural History, Cen
trail Park, says the New York ECenfHQ
Past, has been offered an egg that if sold
av the dozen would bring SO 600, the indi-
yilual one being valued at $500. Its size
is little over foot in length, its holding
capacity two gallons, and in round num-
Har- it equals one hundred and fifty hens
p eggs. its Iineal measurement is double that
rs t.. 1strich's egg, and It's cubic bulk
et-at times greater. The monster egg
comes from Madagascar, and the museum
u1w possesses an admirable cast showing
IFS dimensions.
Tl. first discovery or these interesting
r.l.s- 10 past time was made by the
captain u a merchant vessel, who stopped
No "a port on the southern part of the island
10 trade with the natives. During his stay
there the curious vases that the natives
used On carry water and food in attracted
his attention, and upon investigation he
found that they were eggs cut in halves.
and upon being questioned. the natives
informed him that they obtained them
from the great sand banks some distance
away i'm the up country. An offer TO pur-
chase some soon resulted In the discovery
Of others that fell into the hands Of the
naturalist, lsidOre G.. st. HilaiTe, who
succeeded also in finding the bones Of the
5igd, which he named EpiH0rHiS, or tall
bird.
Since then-1Sj0-the remains Of three
OF four distinct species Of these monsters
have been unearthed in the sand banks Of
rrs.TH raHsr rsH-r
parts of the yertebrG, tiDia sixty-fouT
Centimctres long, being the principal
fnds-Quite enough to establish its cOlOs-
sal stature. Some writer's aver that ira
ditiOns Of this giant gave rise 10 the tales
DO the roc, so Intimately associated with
the haps and mishaps OF the unlucky Sim
bad.
When the bird was first discovered, and
It's egg found to be eight times the capa-
city of that of the ostrich. il was assumed
tg be sixteen feet in height which would
make &c as tall as a giraffe, and much
larger; but the apctriX, though a bird
hardly larger than a guinea hen, lays eggs
as large as a swans. Some Of the mound
building birds lay eggs that seem dispro-
ggrtiuned 90 their size, so il was assumed
That the epinOrnis need not have been
larger than the ostrich. On the other
hand. it is wei known that very large
birds often lay small eggs, as the cuckoo,
3 'birI as large as a small hawk, LAYS
aueg- about the size Of that of the black
bird. SO il will be seen that as a rule
the size OF "a bird cannot be told from its
egg.
The bones found, however, justify natu-
raIists i'm considering the epinOrnis a giant.
Ward gives il as twelve feet; others thir-
teen OT more; not so remarkable when we
consider that IN the earlier geological
times all life seemed to have reach
maximum Of size. Not only were the
birds large, but the mammals were gigan-
tic also. The DiptrOd0n AuStrGiiS was a
Fieistocene kangaroo as large as the living
ruiu0cer0s. The swatherium was a
P1cdydermOid antelope, also as large as
rhin1cerOs. The GlgDtOd0R, a PleistOcene
armldill0 eleven feet long, weighing over
1000 pounds. The magatherium was a
s.otl eighteen feet in length. The tigers
Of the tertiary time, represented by the
mdchair0dus, had upper canine teeth three
times the length OF those Of the living
forms. Tn earlier times We're crinOids
lt-NtI-riEuS SUbGHguldriS) with stalks
over Hitv feet long; huge crabs and gigan-
te fishes that heralded later and more in
significant forms.
When the Mascarene Islands were first
Fisitet in the year 1850, some large birds
were found that have since gone the way
90 the d1dO. One Of the most interesting
was q giant rail, called by Schlegel the
tTlfHE.H qigGHfcG. 1t was a Wingless
llrJ ot elegant shape, standing high on
long, sultlike legs, with enormous toes,
recalling the curious jacana. Its height
was over six feet. From various sources
. IS found that the natives hunted it on
i17,. running &c down until il was finally
eN-grmiuated. the last one being in 1894,
about tOrty-fOur years after its discovery
by the whites.
As regards bulk, the giant moas, or
wiu-le~S birds Of New Zealand We're the
largest grOUud-birds that we are familiar
with. The largest were about ten feet in
height. and according 10 some authors
lley attained a stature OF thirteen feet.
Iaey have been extinct about six hundred
years. The traditions and songs Of the
Maori am refer 10 the size, strength and
wonderful plumage Of the great birds.
According TO the natives the head and
t.ii were adorned with beautiful plumes
ll1t were only worn by the great chiefs
among their ancestors, and considered
badges of distinction.
Not only did the Maori seem informed
concerning the sreat birds, but. according
% ilc Rev. W. COlensO, f. q. $, they
4serret that the birds were still alive.
ne saws; While AT Waiapu / heard from
Us natives Of q certain m0nstrOus animal.
" ale some said il was bird. and Others
person. all agreed that it was called
il1l; that in general appearance it some
what resembled an immense domestic
eN-k- with the difference, however, of its I
having face like a mans; that il lived
e- a-f, and that 10 was attended or guarded
=! tN1 immense tuataras, who, argus
use Astt lncess2nt watch while the m0a !
Steps Also that If any one ventured 10
approach The dwelling of this wonderful
creature, be would invariably be trampled I
ol ana killed by it."
h
enough for all purposes, there existed at /
ne same time. if we NAV believe the evil I
-5lce OF remains found with them, bird I
1 u prey gigantic eagle-that could have ]
-a-Eled on the largest mOa. This rOC-like [
creature was haTpagornis.
Aeilaps the most interesting question /
~ regard 20 these huge birds is that of |
men extinction. Mr.. b. 5. Booth, men, /
~ OF the New Zealand Institute. has 1
ana much attention to the subject and has /
-Ly" o much light upon it. One Of the 1
w. remarkable Of his discoveries of the /
mains OF these giants was in what is /
-oN as the MOa swamp, at Hamilton. l
r." Zealand. The bones were deposited /
-l-lp4Ily IN the northeastern part of the 4
7S.u' ~ Q space exactly the shape Of a 4
--i-lun- forty feet from point TO point; i
sLssen Ieet across the centre. and rang /
t-m TWO 20 four feet deep. He esti- 4
SO mat nearly seven tons OF bones I
81 laaen out Of this small space. most T
MLlcl were badly decompOsed. and /
- -le number Of Individual birds could 4
nave been less than four hundred. T
Zones lay in every imaginable place /
t.-allll. a great quantity of quartz /
atel and smooth pebbles occurred /
-eas the bones, and in the shaIIowest /
e - oi we deposit, under pelves or breast
- tnat mad not been disturbed, they +
Al heaps and punches. There was no j