146 ANIMALS OF THE PAST 



procured some fragments of egg-shells, but it 

 was not until 1851 that any entire eggs were 

 obtained, when two were secured, and with a 

 few bones sent to France, where GeofFroy St. 

 Hilaire bestowed upon them the name of 

 yEpyornis maximus (the greatest lofty bird). 

 INIaximus the eggs remain, for they still hold 

 the record for size ; but so far as the bird that 

 is supposed to have laid them is concerned, the 

 name was a little premature, for other and 

 larger species subsequently came to hand. 

 Between the ^^^pyornithes and the Moas Sci- 

 ence has had a hard time, for the supply of big 

 words was not large enough to go around, and 

 some had to do duty twice. In the way of 

 generic names we have Dinornis, terrible bird ; 

 ^pyornis, high bird ; Pachyornis, stout bird ; 

 and Brontornis, thunder bird, while for specific 

 names there are robustus, maximus, titan ; 

 gravis, heavy ; immanis, enormous ; crassus, 

 stout ; ingens, great ; and elephantopus, ele- 

 phant-footed — truly a goodly array of large- 

 sounding words. But to return to the big 

 eggs ! Usually we look upon those of the os- 

 trich as pretty large, but an ostrich tgg meas- 



