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 — 
Aipyornis maximus (the greatest lofty bird). — 
Maximus 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 Aupyornithes 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 ; q 
Apyoris, 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 | 
egos! Usually we look upon those of the os- 
trich as pretty large, but an ostrich egg meas- 
