The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-07-26
GIGANTIC BIRDS.
Eggs $500 Apiece-RaiIs Six Feet High
Eagles Capable of Carrying -Four or
Five Men-FaOw the DinOrnis Became
ExtInct-PrOfesSor BOOTHS Theory.

Eggs $500 Ap1ece-halIS SIX Fceb hAlSn
Eagles Capable of Carrying -Four
Five Men-HOw the DinOrnis Became
Extinct-PrOfessOr Booths 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 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 relics of a past time was made by
the Captain of a merchant vessel, who
stopped at 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
,'n o'' 'nn1 sun 'iot 80 %""y Ia Ine
W 'e ~, ~ ~ Puloll''oe
80 'o ~. saI Al 'no uoIo'eiy ol
I ti.'V Ioii my !ne Innuo VI the
snooaodod aiao -, f'din 'c th hay" 80 WY
tho bird u III ho i, o,,ad H F'; 49, VI
tn;I liza -'''''''' = t-1'0l Ai1'' VI
=, olllce lheh Slooo)' tne remains OF
three OF l0ur oiStlhct species OF these
monsters 5' nave oeen uneartheo IN the
tbn ioIan5 " oL LII 1ouoneln Poitlon Vi
t tnI a1i"n' e. 'NGm, prs VI .ie YER
iona. si4 70 slvS iouI e GoiUiiiieCito
na7, J't 49, ny ~ iinoLqu.to
So sV,t'. ~
rriant oa,-o r;sa ~ +ho 49, nf ~ ", C,lio
e. inti3,at,iv 1 G',o .itb 81 th Ilo aoo
and mishans of the nnlucEy Sindhad
W., tLa t;,.I Co.,. ,.,ll',
NJ ~ oa. 500 " 90 i2u q,
canonty off tba4 of tho oStr;oI I'''i ~ v,o
orr2a 20 1 h on0 80 oSoiion' ~ was
,',hini, would 800 oi,>' - i III ~ ~,
ond ,ouob 1ar~a,.. h ' '''t 4h 90 ,lauo
- n ~ LI JuU VIC "p'oLlA'
r onG Co. ~ I",, 10y i"'o. .h"n "
sn,nn,s Snnonf ~ 90 Ia ,;, ~ "
49, Io,, oon, th oto nuii I;a"
t;nuod tt ,'l Da T. 9u,in u,9PlGP
10 ~ ~ a. .naC
th H. ~ ~ Nv pooi I't ~
e aiI l1na ho+ VIZ o'1 49, .1''i h;J ~
40 WI To-, N.ro ,"n 'r'U 'oi i"lsI plioS
III $50 10 .nU 0uInoH,
u 90 i'a 90 q oii, ; A,t" ~! NJ .ii"t lay
an ~? ABOUT che SIZE Oh thaI OF uhe
1 ~ ." IL "liI w ooei VlaV rs
eule tile SIZE Vi d olru canhoC DC tolo
iloln i'o eS9'
Inc bones found, however, Justify
naturallsts IN considering the EplnorniS
a grant. ward gives 1t as twelve feet;
others thirteen or more; not so remark
able when we consider that in the.
earlier geological times all life seemed
to have reached maximum of size.
Not only were the birds large, but the
mammals were gigantic also. The
Dlprotodon Australis was Pleistocene
Kangaroo as large as the living rhinoc-
eros. The Swatherium was Pachy
dermold antelope, also as large as a
rhlnoceros. The Glyptodon, Pleis-
tocene armadillo, eleven feet long,
weighing over 1000 pounds. The
Megathcrium was a sloth eighteen feet
in length. The tigers of the tertiary
time, represented by the Machairodus,
had upper canine teeth three times the
length of those of the living forms. In
earlier times were Crinoids (Pentacri-
nus subangularis) with stalks over fifty
feet long; huge crabs and gigantic fishes
that heralded later and more insignif-
cant forms.
With such an array of stupendous
creatures, we are not surprised to find
birds OF such colossal stature. France
has produced one of the largest and
most remarkable of these forms yet
made known to science. M. CASTOR