86 The Elephant-birds 



generally in the more inland parts of south-central Madagascar and at certain 

 seasons came to the coast to lay their eggs, after which they betook themselves 

 again to their inland homes. I do not know whether this idea is quite correct, 

 but it seems to me very probable, from the fact that their eggs, both whole and 

 broken, are only found on or near the seacoast." 



Although the Elephant-birds have not been found to be as large as was at 

 first supposed, the largest not exceeding the height of an Ostrich and the smallest 

 being about the size of a large Bustard, they were nevertheless of large size, 

 chiefly remarkable for the great massiveness of the hind limbs, the leg bones 

 in the largest species (jEpyornis maximus) being about thirteen inches long 

 and eighteen inches in circumference at the upper extremity. Normally they 

 appear to have had four toes, but in some the back one (hallux) was wanting. 

 They had apparently a relatively small skull, but this is imperfectly known, 

 and an unusually short and broad breast-bone which is without trace of a 

 keel. The wing was quite rudimentary, and they were of course flightless. 

 These birds appear to find their nearest relatives among the Cassowaries and 

 Emeus, but many points in their structure remain to be elucidated and 

 interpreted. 



The natives of Madagascar still assert that some of these great birds are yet 

 living in the interior, but this is highly improbable, and it seems hardly likely 

 that any have existed within the past two or three hundred years. The manner 

 of their extermination is unknown, but it is more than likely that it was brought 

 about by the hand of man. If their breeding grounds were localized, as seems 

 probable, it would only have been necessary to persistently destroy the eggs to 

 have caused their ultimate extinction. 



