II AEPYORNITHIDAE—STEREORNITHES 43 
of grass and leaves. We are told that the eggs found with the 
remains were dark green, light green, or yellowish, but the last 
colour at least probably refers to faded specimens. 
VI. AEPYORNITHES. 
(Juite as remarkable as the Moas are the immense, massive- 
limbed forms of the Family Aepyornithidae, supposed by many 
to be identical with the “Ruc” or “Roc” of the Venetian 
traveller Marco Polo, and of the Arabian Nights. If this is 
the case, the size of the birds and their eggs must have been 
absurdly exaggerated, since the largest species known probably 
stood about seven feet high, and the egg is certainly not as big 
as a butt; nevertheless, the fact of the Roc being accredited to 
Madagascar makes it probable enough that the fables were 
engrafted upon Aepyornis, which was an inhabitant of that island. 
The eggs were first brought to the notice of ornithologists by 
Strickland in 1849, while soon afterwards Isidore Geoffroy St.- 
Hilaire obtained two of them, with some fragments of bones.' 
These eggs, which exceed all others in magnitude, measuring 
some thirteen inches by nine and a half, have now been obtained 
in considerable numbers, with a large quantity of fossil remains 
of the birds themselves; and in consequence about twelve species 
have been indicated, and a second genus, Mullerornis.” It is sup- 
posed that some of them were in existence not more than two 
hundred years ago. The most salient points of their structure 
are the long, stout legs, with four toes and broad flat metatarsi, 
the apparently rudimentary humeri, the absurdly short  keel-less 
sternum, and the frontal pits, indicating a large crest, compar- 
able to that supposed to have existed in certain of the Dinorni- 
thidae.’ The shell of the eggs, some of which contain two gallons, 
tole) 
is used by the natives to hold liquor, and is slightly pitted. 
It will be remembered that, in the arrangement here followed, 
Dr. Gadow placed the Srzrzorni7THeES under the head of Neor- 
nithes Ratitae, though not under that of Ratitae in the restricted 
1 Ann. Sct. Nat. (3) xiv. 1850, pp. 205-216. 
2 Milne-Edwards and Grandidier, C. R. Ac. Sci. cxviii. 1894, pp. 122-127; 
Andrews, Geol. Mag. 1894, p. 18; id. Ibis, 1896, pp. 376-389. 
* Parker, Pr. VN: Z. Inst. xxv. 1892, p. 3. 
