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98 THI? CONDOR Vol. HI size illustration is shown in figure 22. The reverse side (see figure 23), that upon which the egg may have lain for a long time, presents a roughened sur- face, the result of coneretionary deposits of lime, a condition frequently noted in fossils of certain periods. No attempt has been made to remove these small, irregular nodules. Indeed, they, together with the opportunity they present for chemical analysis, furnish unquestionable proof of the genuineness of the egg, the value and importance of which most collectors cannot help but appreciate in a subject of such rarity. Whether the shell of the egg is fossilized or not, its original contents has nearly disappeared; for, by holding the egg between the hands and reversing it end for end, one can plainly hear and feel what appears to be several table- spoonfuls of fine, sand-like material, or possibly thin scales. This probably does not exceed two ounces in weight. As stated, the present weight of the egg is but 5 pounds, 1 ounce, and its displacement is 18 2/3 pints, equivalent to the displacement of 183 hen's eggs. Were the shell and original contents fossilized, it would weigh (assuming the weight of lime stone for the purpose) about 51 pounds, 5 ounces. I?ased Fig. 20. EGG OF AEPYORNIS (AT LEFT) IN CO?IPARISON WITH EGGS OF OSTRICH, E?IU, ALBA- TROSS, SWAN, GOOSE, EIDER, MALLARD, HEN, MARSH HAWK, TEAL, ROAD-RUNNER, BIIR- ROWING OWL, BOB-WHITE, FLICKER, WOODPECKEB, LARK BUNTING, BANK SWALLOW, GOLDFINCH, HU?I}IINGBIRD. on the average weight of 48 assorted ben's eggs used for the purpose, multi- plied by 183 displacement measurements, its weight when fresh would be 22 pounds, 4 ounces. There being no fracture in the shell of the egg, its present thickness has not been determined. All figures given in the label accompanying the exhibit are based on an average of a series of tests for displacement, these being made with thoroughly dried table salt. As both bulk and weight were employed in computing the relative sizes of the several eggs, the figures may be considered as substantially accurate. The descriptive matter on the exhibition label reads as follows. "Closely related to the present day Ostrich and to the Moa of prehistoric times, the Aepyornis is known only through the scant fossil remains that have been unearthed from the san'd-dunes of Madagascar. Like the Ostrich and Moa, it was without the power of flight and became extinct long before the first visits to the island by Portuguese and Dutch navigators. At that period, the natives claimed the bird still existed, but later investigations proved their