100 THE CONDOR . Vol. XXI 
examples of the eggs and a few of the bones were secured and sent to France, 
when Geoffroy--St.Hilaire gave them the technical name Aepyornis maximus. 
Eggs have been brought to light at rare intervals since then, the specimen here 
shown being the first to reach America. This was imported by the late Robert 
Gilfort, of Orange, New Jersey, and from whose estate it was purchased by 
Mr. Wm. C. Bradbury, and donated by him to the museum. 
‘‘Measurements prove this example to exceed, by a full half inch, the 
dimensions of other recorded specimens; but its giant proportions can not be 
appreciated except by comparison with modern eggs. Calculations in dis- 
Fig. 22. PORTION OF SURFACE OF AEPYORNIS EGG, NATURAL SIZE, TO 
SHOW DETAIL OF TEXTURE. 
placement show the Aepyornis egg to be equivalent to each of the following 
number of eggs of modern species: 
“Ostrich, 71/3; Albatross, 24 2/3; Goose, 40; Duck, 1092/3; Hen, 183; — 
Pigeon, 469; and Hummingbird 12,062. : 
‘“The dimensions of this Aepyornis egg are 99,/16 by 13 inches. Insuffici- 
ent skeletal remains have been discovered to determine the size of the Aepyor- 
nis. Complete skeletons of the Moa show the latter bird to exceed ten feet in 
height, while its egg measures but 614 by 1014 inches. Comparative estimates 
to determine the height of the Aepyornis, however, are likely to be misleading, — 
heeause of the evidence that birds do not always lay eggs to conform with their 
. 
