1867.] MR. G. DAWSON ROWLEY ON .EPYORNIS. 893 



cracked, but with the granulation and the surface perfect No 2 

 measured 33f and 28f inches respectively ; the surface was not "so 

 well preserved. I regret that I can give no history of these. I 

 otJered to purchase them, and am now informed that I may have 

 both for the small sum of ^6320, or one for 36200 ! 



The ' Journal de Toulouse ' states that M. Nau, who had been 

 thirteen years a prisoner among the Ilovas, has brought to Toulouse 

 a specimen with diameters 12 inches and 10 inches, found in a recent 

 alluvial deposit at a depth of J| feet. This one I have not seen. I 

 believe it to be different from one mentioned to me in a letter by 

 Count Raoul de Barace, at Nantes. M. Grandidier speaks of one or 

 two other eggs in a letter I have just received from him, making ten or 

 twelve in all. I am bound also to state that he doubts any havino- 

 been found except at Cape St. Marie, the village of Ampalaze and 

 Machichora, all in close proximity on the shore of South Madagascar. 

 lo his opinion I attach the greatest weight. It is therefore quite 

 possible that the statement I received in French, naming Mananzari 

 as one locality, may be founded upon an error. M. Grandidier's 

 letter goes on to say, "All tbe southern tract, where these ports are, 

 IS only a plateau without the smallest hill, without a ravine, without 

 a cave, where one digs in a bed of sand as smooth as the surface of 

 the table." The eggs have been found " in the places I mention, 

 only on the sea-shore, on the abrupt rise of the dunes, even on the 

 surface of the sand, when there is a crumbling of the earth, or when 

 tropical rains heave up parts of the sand." He has deposited in the 

 museum the following specimens of the strata : — " No. 1 . Un cal- 

 caire quaternaire, which does not rise above the sea-level, and serves 

 as a base to the dunes. To this calcareous stratum are joined speci- 

 mens of modern breccia. No. 2. Sand of the dunes, composed of 

 impalpable fragments, shells, and grains of quartz. No. 3. Land- 

 shells, which are found along with the remains of the eggs oi jEpy- 

 ornis. No. 4. Fragments of calcareous rolled stones mixed with 

 shells. All the subfossil shells that are mixed up with the remains 

 of eggs would probably be still found alive, and are land-shells. 

 For fossils I have tried without hope of success, and I do not think 

 any further efforts can be made." In my first paper I located the 

 JEpyornis m modern times ; and each new discovery confirms the 

 idea. There is every reason to believe, from M. Grandidier's account, 

 that it was extant in or about Flacourt's period, i. e. 1658. All the 

 eggs found have been taken from recent strata, modern alluvia- 

 whole ones deeper, and fragments on the surface, the latter in great 

 abundance, showing that these yEpyornithes were by no means 

 uncommon. M. Grandidier says that the recent stratum in which 

 he found his remains contained also land-shells, which partially 

 retain their colour and still exist in Madagascar. M. Grandidier 

 concludes his most interesting paper thus : — " I am led to acknow- 

 ledge that this gigantic bird was living at a recent period, since its 

 remains are found in the most modern formations, the deposition of 

 which is still in progress. Possibly it existed at the beginning of our 

 era ; but when the country was peopled it became speedily exter-. 



