Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-02-13
The Stretch Of Wings of the Ancient American PteraHo-
don as Compared With q Trolley Car.

was neither so big nor SO formidable ~
another great bird whose remains have
recently been dug up in Patagonia. Tho
latter was n cursorial (running) bird OF
prey, n monster of the heron family. In
fact, it was by far the biggest bird OF prey
that ever lived. and probably attacked
with success large-siZed animals.
This remarkable fowl had n head bigger
than that OF a horse, with a huge beak
as sharp as an ice-pick. 1t stood eight
feet high on its ~sharp-clawed feet. Its
neck was as thick as a horses neck, and
its limbs very massive. Like the giant
parrot, it had wings too small to be Of
any use for fight.
Accounts OF such real and undeniablo
birds as these bring to mind the tabled
''roc," OF Arabian Nights already referred
to. There seems TO be little doubt that the
stories told Of the roc had n certain basis
in fact. Arab traders, voyaging down tho
east coast OF Africa, had frequent dealings
with the people Of Madagascar. and it
would be strange, indeed, If they did not
learn from them about the enormous bird
native to that Island, known to modern
science as the acpyornis.
1t is believed that this bird became OK
tinct not much more than n century ago.
Captain Cook. who stopped at Madagascar
on his famous voyage around the world,
might have seen it alive if he had gone
hunting. But the first knowledge Of It
ever gained by Europeans came from the
island OF Mauritihs, which is about COO
miles cast OF Madagascar.
M3iagassy natives were in the habit Of
oDr,inu oil tlr vrn., fror, NIninu,crnr "a
Mauritius 10 buy rum, and the rccertaclcs
they used for taking back with them tho
ardent spirits were lat least. i'll some in
s~tancCs) the empty eggs OF Il gigantic fowl
which, they said. had once he"n a numcr-
GUS species in their OWL country.
The eggs held approximately two gal
Ions. They were (taking ar averagc) thir-
teen inches long, nearly three feet in cir
cumfcrcncc and with shells almost an inch
thick. As containers they served excel
lcntly. One of them was equal, in con-
tents. TO liS hens eggs.
Up to the present time no skeleton Of
the bird has been found. nor enough in tho
way Of osscous fragments to make posi-
bic e satisfactory restoration of il. Once
In Il while an egg worth n small fortune
because Of its rarity) is dug out Of Il
gravel bank or some such place. whcrcin
il has been preserved by its thick she'll.
II is a roc's egg, no doubt OF that.
Probably the roc, or aepyaornis, huge
though its size. was not the largest bird
that ever lived. Such remains Of it as
have been found indicate that it stood not
more than ten feet high. The giant moa"
Of New Zealand was fourteen feet tall and
weighed at least half n ton.
The roo seems 10 have been related TO
the ostrich tribe. The moa might almost
be described rs q gigantic edition OF the
fightless "apteryx," which still fingers on
the verge of extinction in New Zealand.
1t was harmless TO the point OF helpless
rHss. being without power of flight, in.
capable OF running fast, and slow and
clumsy in all its movements. Besides. it
was extremely stupid. In no other country
could ii have survived at all, owing TO
Great Britain iIsEtI Rsasrssd.