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AEPYORNIS GRANDIDIERIROWLEY.
- Aepyornis Maximus Auct.
- Aepyornis grandidieri Rowley, P.Z.S. 1867, p. 892.
This is the form which nearly all the bones, referred erroneously to Geoffroy's Ae. maximus, belong. The original description of Dawson Rowley was founded on a piece of eggshell, and is as follows:—
"The granulation is in a marked degree different from that of the other pieces. The air pores which in the other specimens appear like a comet with a tail are here only small indentations without any tail; the shell also is only half the thickness, is much finer, and presents an aspect so diverse that the difference is detected by the most careless observer, even when the pieces are all mixed. These fragments belonged to the egg of much smaller birds, the embryo of which required less strength in the shell. Yet the colour, quality and locality of that shell clearly point to a bird of the same family as Aepyornis maximus—in short, a smaller and more delicate Aepyornis. For this species I propose the name of Aepyornis grandidieri."
The measurements of bones of the hind limb are as follows:—
| Femur. | ||
| Length | 320 | mm. |
| Width at distal end | 190 | " |
| Tibio-tarsus. | ||
| Length | 640 | mm. |
There are at Tring two eggs of this species.
| No. 1, traded. | ||
| Length | 283.0 | mm. |
| Width | 215.0 | " |
| Large circumference | 777.5 | " |
| Small circumference | 670.0 | " |
No. 2 Ambondo, Ambovombé in the district of Fort Dauphin.
| Large circumference | 775 | mm. |
| Small circumference | 662.5 | " |
There are recorded of these eggs, besides the two mentioned above, eight further specimens, varying from 810 mm. to 771.5 mm. in large circumference, and 686 mm. to 654 mm. in small circumference.
In addition to these there are in various collections about eight or nine eggs whose species is doubtful.
