The first notice we have from a scientific man of the existence on
Madagascar of large Struthious birds is the description by Isidore
Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire of two eggs and a few osseous remains, in the
Annales des Sciences naturelles III, Zoologie, vol. XIV (1850). These
important objects were sent to the describer by a colonist of Réunion,
Monsieur de Malavois, but were obtained from the natives in Madagascar by
Captain M. Abadie. A third egg arrived smashed. The name given on this
evidence was _Aepyornis maximus_.
Since then some 40 eggs at least and a large number of odd bones have been
collected by Monsieur Grandidier, Messrs. Last and others, and Dr. Forsyth
Major, but only one practically complete, and one less complete skeleton of
a smaller species, named _Aepyornis hildebrandti_ by Dr. Burckhardt.
A large number of species has been diagnosed on the evidence of these bones
and eggs by Professor Milne-Edwards, Mr. Dawson Rowley and Mr. Andrews, and
a second genus, _Mullerornis_, established.