ON THE EGG. 257 



far remote ages, when the now extinct colossal birds roamed over 

 certain islands of the Pacific Ocean and laid eggs there of the 

 magnitude of the casts on this table, were now living, the aver- 

 age size of birds eggs would be much greater than at present. 

 At the present time the biggest egg is that of the ostrich, and 

 the smallest that of our own dear little golden-crested wren, 

 which is less than the eggs of the smallest humming bird in our 

 collection. Perhaps a good sized hen's egg may not be very far 

 from being an average egg as to size. How dreadfully thought- 

 less and improvident were these savage Maori who deprived the 

 world of such eggs as these casts represent. It was really a 

 calamity to man when the last pair of the Mba, or, as Professor 

 Owen named them, Dinornis, were speared and eaten. After 

 that sad event, and in consequence of it, or as some would say, 

 as a punishment, the savages were compelled to take up the 

 horrid habit of cannibalism. The cast of the egg of the ^piornis 

 of Madagascar measures in long circumference 2 ft. 11 in., in 

 short or transverse circumference 2 ft. 5 in,, in long diameter 

 13 in., short diameter 9 in. The Dinornis or Moa's egg has a 

 long diameter of 8f in. and a transverse diameter of 6f in. The 

 Ostrich's egg has a long diameter of 5 in., short diameter of 4|^ 

 in., long circumference 16 in., short circumference 14^ in. The 

 Cassowary's egg has a long diameter of 5 J in., a short diameter 

 of 3 iV in. The Rhea's has a long diameter of 5 J in. and a short 

 diameter of 3^ in. The Emu's has a long circumference of 14^ 

 in., a short circumference of 11^ in., long diameter 5 in., short 

 diameter 3^ in. A Humming bird's is in length half an inch, 

 in breadth f of an inch. The Golden-crested Wren's is in length 

 half an inch, breadth -^^ of inch. Of the common Hen, the 

 length is 2^ in., breadth 1^-; long circumference 6f, transverse 

 circumference 5 J. The weight of an ordinary hen's egg is about 

 two ounces. 



The form of an egg is one of beauty and strength. The terms, 

 oval^ ovate, and ovoid are derived from the Latin ovum. The egg 

 - shape for ages has been imitated by architects and decorative 

 artists. The cornices of buildings and rooms were and are beau- 

 tiful with the egg and tongue or the egg and arrow device. The 



