12 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS 



island cherish the behef that these birds still 

 exist, and attribute to them (which of course is 

 fable pure and simple) the power of flight. The 

 first definite indication that such huge birds had 

 formerly lived in Madagascar was the discovery 

 of their colossal egg-shells, supplemented after- 

 wards by the finding of bones. These remains 

 have been referred to no less than five species, 

 some however of which belong to birds of much 

 smaller size. One of these large egg-shells is 

 now in the British Museum, and measures some 

 thirteen inches in length by nine and a half 

 inches in breadth ; whilst a still larger example 

 was formerly in the possession of the late Dawson 

 Rowley. The flightless and consequently help- 

 less condition of these stupendous birds must 

 soon have led to their complete extermination 

 after man appeared in the island. 



The second point to which I specially want 

 to refer is the occurrence in the Miocene de- 

 posits of Europe of certain genera of birds that 

 in our time are strictly confined to the Tropics. 

 Among the most remarkable of these may be 

 mentioned the remains of Psittacus (a genus 

 of Parrots), a form of Swift (Collocalia) now 

 confined to the Tropics, a Secretary Bird 

 (Serpentarius), what appears to have been a 



