FEATHERED GIANTS 157 



other skeletons and numerous bones are to be found in 

 other institutions, but the author is not aware of any egg 

 being in this country. Specimens of the SEpyornis are 

 rare in this country, but Mr. Robert Gufort, of Orange, 

 N. J., is the possessor of a very fine egg. A number of 

 eggs have been sold in London, the prices ranging from 

 200 down to 42, this last being much less than prices 

 paid for eggs of the great auk. But then, the great 

 auk is somewhat of a fad, and there are just enough 

 eggs in existence to bring one into the market every 

 little while. Besides, the number of eggs of the great 

 auk is a fixed quantity, while no one knows how many 

 more of JEpyornis remain to be discovered in the swamps 

 of Madagascar. No specimens of the gigantic Pata- 

 gonian birds are now in this country, but a fine exam- 

 ple of one of the smaller forms, Pelycomis, including 

 the only breast-bone yet found, is in the Museum of 

 Princeton University. 



The largest known tibia of a Moa, the longest bird- 

 bone known, is in the collection of the Canterbury Mu- 

 seum, Christchurch, New Zealand ; it is 3 feet 3 inches 

 long. This, however, is exceptional, the measurements 

 of the leg-bones of an ordinary Dinornis maximus 

 being as follows : Femur, 18 inches ; tibia, 32 inches ; 

 tarsus, 19 inches, a total of 5 feet 9 inches. The egg 

 measures 10\ by 6^ inches. 



There is plenty of literature, and very interesting 



