COLOSSAL BIRDS. 369 
which must have been truly colossal. One of these egzs was equal 
to at least six ostrich eggs, and its capacity more than fifteen pints. 
M. Isidore Geoffroy de Saint-Hilaire, who gave it the name of 
Epiornis, reckoned that its height could not be less than ten or 
twelve feet. 
In 1867, M. Joly, Professor of the Faculty of Sciences at Tou- 
louse, published some very interesting observations on the structure 
and probable habits of this gigantic bird. 
It cannot yet be asserted tha: this bird has altogether dis- 
appeared. The inhabita .ts of Madagascar state that, although very 
rare, some few representatives of it still remain. Thee is an ancient 
tradition among this people relative to a colossal bird which could 
knock down an ox and then make a meal of it. This tradition, 
however, is deficient in anything like evidence of its truth, for an 
examination of the pieces of bone found proves that the pzornis 
possessed neither talons to seize nor wings with wh ch to pursue its 
prey ; it must, therefore, have fed chiefly upon vegetable diet. 
In New Zealand also some bones have been lately brought to 
light, which must have belonged to a species of bird allied to the 
ostrich, but so superior to it in s‘ze, that it attained some thirteen 
feet in height. This bird has been designated the Dzwornis. Some 
of them probably still exist in that country; at all events, its dis- 
appearance must be very recent, for the bones which were discovered 
still contained a large p:oportion of gelatine. Rumour states that a 
Dinornis more than thirteen feet in height was seen by two English- 
men in one of the marshy forests, but they did not venture to 
approach near enough to kill it. We give this tale with all due 
reserve, as its authenticity does not appear to be satisfactorily 
established. 
