ELEPHANT-BIRD: in the plural, general term for the extinct Aepyornithidae (Aepyornithiformes), very large flightless running birds¹ of which remains have been found in Madagascar in deposits dating from the Pleistocene to geologically recent times. The remains, some of which may be classed as merely sub-fossil², consist of bones and eggs, or of fragments of these. The different sizes of corresponding bones indicate that there were several species; these are referred to the genus Aepyornis, but certain of them have been separated under Mullerornis by some authors. They all seem to have been tall birds and of particularly massive build, with very stout legs; it has been estimated that the largest may have weighed 1000 lb. As a generalisation one may say that they had the stature of an Ostrich Struthio camelus although of much greater bulk; but A. titan³ stood higher (fully 10 feet), about as tall as Dinornis maximus⁴. Eggs measuring as much as 13 by 9½ inches have been found, and average specimens are estimated to have had a liquid content of two gallons (ca. 9 litres). The egg has been described as the largest single cell in the Animal Kingdom.

The legend of the Roc, if it did not originate in Madagascar, subsequently became localised there and may possibly be linked with some persisting tradition of Aepyornis. It is very probable that some of these elephant-birds lived at a sufficiently recent date to have given rise to such a tradition; or the latter may be based on the eggs, of which remarkably well preserved specimens are still uncovered from time to time in the bogs of the island.

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Notes on this text

This selection holds up well, even if published back in 1964.

1. "Running birds" is just another way to say "ratite" (i.e., non-flying) and is not meant to be taken literally. Vorompatra probably did very little running--he had no real need to.



2. A "sub-fossil" is something which has not had a chance to turn to stone...yet.



3. Almost all sources call this bird Aepyornis maximus, which is what the French zoölogist St-Hilaire named it in 1851. It appears that sometime since that, another specimen was given a new specific name. Apparently the birds are one and the same, and priority rules (that is, St-Hilaire "called it first"), but this alias has taken on a life of its own.



4. Dinornis maximus has since been renamed D. giganteus.