52 



THE OSPREY. 



THE LARGEST BIRD THAT PEIES. 

 Bv J. E. HakTing. 



If the subject of inquiry were the larg-est 

 bird that ever lived, there can be little doubt that 

 the palm would have to be awarded to the ex- 

 tinct New Zealand Moa (Dinornis maximus), of 

 which the total heig-ht was about lOft., the tibia 

 or thig-h bone measuring- a yard in length. But 

 this bird, like all the members of its g-enus, and 

 like the Apteryx, Emu, Cassowary, Rhea, and 

 Ostrich, which survive at the present day, was 

 incapable of flight, and, therefore, for the pre- 

 sent purpose need not be compared with those 

 presently to be noted. As, however, there is 

 some conflict of opinion as to the probable 

 heig-ht of the larg-est species of Moa, and a vari- 

 ation in the statements as to leng-th of tibia in 

 Dinornis maximus, it maj' be of interest en 

 passa)it to refer to it. According- to Messrs. 

 Nicholson and Lydekker (Manual of Palceonto- 

 logy, 3rd ed., 1889), the height (as above stated) 

 was 10ft. , and the length of tibia 3ft. In Profess- 

 or Newton's admirable "Dictionary of Birds" 

 (art. "Moa") it is stated that Dinornis maximus is 

 the largest of all the species, having a tibia 

 measuring- 39in., and probably reaching a heig-ht 

 of 12ft. The former statement having been 

 published in 1886, and the latter in 1894, sug- 

 gests as a possible explanation that between 

 those dates a longer tibia (Sin. longer) came to 

 hand, from which the increase in height of 2ft. 

 was inferred; but the proportions in inches 

 would be— 36: 39:: 120: 130, that is to say, the 

 specimen with a tibia of 3ft. 3in. would measure 

 only 10ft. lOin. in height, instead of 12ft., as 

 mentioned in the Dictionary- quoted. 



But this by the way. The problem I will now 

 try to solve (and it is one of some little interest) 

 is, "Which is the largest existing bird that flies"? 

 The question is by no means easily answered 

 offhand. Ninety-nine persons out of a hundred 

 who are not naturalists would probably infer, 

 froin the marvellous stories they have read of 

 lambs, kids, and even children being carried oft' 

 by it, that the Eammerg-eier, or Bearded Vulture 

 (Gypa?tus barbatus) must be unquestionably the 

 largest living bird that flies. Those who have 

 travelled in Peru and Chili would doubtless 

 maintain that the South American Condor (Sar- 

 corhamphus gryphus) must surely exceed it in 

 size; while passengers who have made a voyage 

 to the Cape or to the Falkland Islands will feel 

 convinced that no bird at the present day has a 

 greater expanse of wing than the Wandering 

 Albatross (Diomedea exulans). It is not possi- 

 ble to settle these rival claims without having 

 recovtrse to actual measurement. "Estimated" 

 expanse of wing is for our purpose useless; 

 hearsay evidence must be discarded. What we 

 want are facts, first hand, from those who have 

 actually taken measurements and ascertained 

 weights, or seen them taken by others in their 

 presence. 



If length of body from tip of beak to end of tail, 

 expanse of wing measured between the extended 

 tips, and weight of dead bird are to be taken as 

 a test of size, it will probably surprise many 

 persons to learn that the Eammergeier is not 

 the largest bird of prey in Europe, and that 

 quite as large and somewhat heavier a rival has 



visited the British Islands within the memory 

 of those now living. I refer to the great Griffon 

 Vulture (Gyps fulvus), a specimen of which, as re- 

 lated in Yarrell's "British Birds", was captured 

 in 1843 near Cork Harbour. 



This huge bird, when adult, measures from 

 tip of beak to end of tail from 3ft. lOin. to 4ft. 

 lin. according to sex (the females, as with most 

 birds of prey, being larger than the males); the 

 expanse of wing is from 8ft. lOin. to 9ft. 2in., 

 and the weight from 181b. to 201b. 



Not much inferior in point of size, though 

 somewhat less in weight, is the Cinereous Vul- 

 ture (Vultur monachus), the male of which at- 

 tains a length of 3ft. 6in. and the female 3ft. 

 9in., with an expanse of wing varying from 8ft. 

 to 9ft. lOin., according to age and sex, and an 

 average weight of about 141b., the female bird 

 being a pound or two heavier. 



An inquisitive reader may here inquire how 

 do these weights compare with those of the 

 eagles which dwell in Scotland and the Isles, as 

 well as in Ireland, and are met with from time 

 to time in England, on migration, generally in 

 autinnn. 



An immature Golden Eagle from Eoch Gair, 

 obtained in the month of August, weighed 9ilb., 

 and measured between the extended wings 6ft. 

 7in. Another two-year-old bird, procured in 

 Ross-shire in September, 1897, weighed 111b.; a 

 third, killed at Kylemore Castle, Galway, in 

 October, 1889, weighed 12ilb. An immature 

 White-tailed or Sea Eagle, shot in Brighton, 

 weighed 101b.; another, killed at Arundel, bare- 

 ly lOlb.; while a fine old bird in fully adult 

 plumag-e, from Stornoway, Lewis, weighed not 

 less than 16ilb. This is the heaviest White- 

 tailed Eagle of which I have any note. It has 

 been referred to by Robert Gray ("Birds of the 

 W^est of Scotland", p. 17) as being in the collec- 

 tion of Sir James Matheson, Bart., of Storno- 

 waj', and the finest British example of the Sea 

 Eagle he had ever seen. He adds, "compared 

 with three or four other Sea Eagles in the same 

 collection, its size, indeed, appears quite extra- 

 ordinary, and had the specimen been darker in 

 colour it might have readily been mistaken for 

 the Northern Sea Eagle of Pallas". 



It might be supposed that the Imperial Eagle 

 would be larger and heavier than the Golden, 

 Eag^le, but from actual comparison this does not 

 appear to be so. Thus the Golden Eagle mea- 

 sures 3ft. to 3ft. 4in. in length, 6ft. 6in. to 7ft. 

 6in. in expanse of wing, and weighs from 91b. to 

 121b., while the Imperial Eagle measures only 

 2ft. 6in. to 3ft. in length, 6ft. 4in. to 7ft. lin. in 

 expanse of wing, and weighs on an average 

 from 61b. to 8|lb. 



As for the Lammergeier, it will be found on 

 comparison of measurements and weights, that 

 while in expanse of wing it measures no more 

 than an adult Grift'on Vulture (8ft. 3in. to 9ft. 

 2in)., its weight may be several pounds less. 



Capt. Hutton, writing of the Lammergeier as 

 observed by him in the Himalayas, remarks: 



"Marvellous indeed are the stories told both 

 by natives and Europeans of the destructive 



