The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-08-21
GIGANTIC BIRDS

UAUAN1lC D1hUS
EgEs $500 Apiece-RaiIs six Feet HKsh
-Eagles Capable of Carrying Tour or
Five Men-How the DInoinis Became
Extinct-Pr0fessor Boeth's Theory.
The Museum of Natural History,
Central Park, has been offered an egg
that if sold by the dozen would bring
$500, the individual one being valued
at $500. Its size is a little over a foot
in length, its holding capacity two
gallons, and in round numbers itequals
one hundred and fifty hens eggs; its
lineal measurement is double that of
the ostrich's egg, and its cubic bulk
eight times greater. The monster egg
comes from Madagascar, and the
museum now possesses an admirable
cast showing its dimensions.
The first discovery of these interest
ing relies OF a past time was made by
the Captain of merchant vessel, who
stopped at a port on the southern part
of the island to trade with the natives.
During his stay there the curious vases
the natives used to carry water and food
in attracted his attention, and upon in
vestigation 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 II the
up country. An effort to purchase
some soon resulted in the discovery of
others that fell into the hands Of the
naturalist, Isidore G.. st. Hilaire, who
succeeded also in finding the bones of
the bird, which he named Epinornis,- or
tail bird.
Since then (1850), the remains of
three or four distinct species of these
monsters have been unearthed in the
sand-banks of the southern portion of
the island, a skull, parts of the YER
tebre, a tibia sixty four centimetres
long, being the principal finds-quite
enough to establish its colossal stature.
Some writer's aver that traditions of this
giant gave rise to the tales of the roc
SO intimately associated with the haps
and mishaps of the unlucky Sindbad.
When the bird was first discovered.
aud its egg found to be eight times the
capacity of that of the ostrich, it was
assumed to be sixteen feet in height,
which would make it as tall as giral lie
and much larger; but the apterix,
though o bird hardly larger than a
guinea hen. lay eggs as large as a
swans. Some of the mound building
birds lay eggs that seem dispropor-
toned to theirsize, so it was assumed that
the Epinornis need not have been larger
than the ostrich. On the other hand, it
is well known that very large birds
often lay small eggs, as the cuckoo, a
bird as large as small hawk, that laws
an egg about the size of that of the
biackbird. So it will be seen that as a
rule the size of bird cannot be told
fromi its egg.
The bones found, however, Justify
naturalists in considering the Epinernis
giant. Ward gives it as twelve9eet;
others thirteen or more; not so remark
able when we consider that in the
earlier geological times all life seemed
to have reached d maximum of size.
Not only were the birds large, but the
mammals were gigantic also The
Diprotodon AustraliS was Pleistocene
kangaroo as large as the living rhinoc-
eros. The Swatherium was q Pachy-
dermoid antelope, also as large as a
rhinoceros. The Glyptodon, Pleis-
tocene armadillo, eleven feet long,
weighing over 1000 pounds. The
Megatherium was sloth eighteen feet
IN length. The tigers of the tertiary
time, represented by the Machairodns,
had upper canine teeth three times the
length of those of the living forms. In
earlier times were Grinoids (Pentacri-
nus subangularis9 with stalks over fifty
ieet long; hugecrabs and gigantic fishes
that heralded later and more insignifi-
cant forms.
With such an array of stupendous
creatures, we are not surprised to find
nlrds OF such colossal stature. France
mas produced one of the largest and
most remarkable of these forms yet
made known to science. M. CASTOR
Fiante, IN some excavations in clayey
stratum known as the Meudon ossifer-
Gus eonglomerate, made the first dis
covery OF tibia, which, though some
wnat broken, measured forty five CEN
ssmetres. and from its resemblance to
.aae OF the swan, differing from It only
q she presence of a sub trochean fossa
ana u the relatively high situation OF
eae osseous arch and external mus
GUAR attachment, it was presumed that
sne oird was a gigantic ally of these
uirus. Since Plante' discovery another
gastornls has been discovered in for
mallon corresponding to the Meudon
sppnglomerate. A large part OF the
"a sasleeon was secured, and when mount.
g s ana the missing parts carefully re-
ssVsea, oiFd was shown over ten feet