Le Figaro: Walking With Dinosaurs and BIG EGGS

["Ralph W. Miller III" <gbabcock@best.com>]

The February 5, 2000 issue of _Le Figaro magazine_,  a French language 
publication, features a cover story on the BBC documentary (sic), "Walking With 
Dinosaurs," which will be called "Sur la Terre des Dinosaures" in France, where 
it debuts on February 29 on France 3.  There are 8 pages of coverage, with 
large color photos, and a 4 page poster besides, which sports a big _T. rex_ on 
one side and a number of prehistoric critters on the reverse.  The cover 
proclaims "L'anne'e des Dinosaures," (year of
the dinosaurs).

The magazine also devotes 4 pages to dinosaur science, most of this being a 
report on Argentina's newest biggest dinosaur.  There is also a brief article 
on the KT extinctions, and there are side bars on flying and swimming reptiles 
and the "biggest eggs" from South Korea.

There is a photograph of an egg (or what's left of it) which is said to be 41 
cm long by 12 cm in diameter.  That's about 16 1/8" long and 4 3/4" in diameter 
for "metrically challenged" readers.  This is certainly no longer than the 46 
cm (18") long  _Macroelongatoolithus_, but the girth is perhaps somewhat 
greater in the South Korean specimens.

Twenty of these eggs were discovered near the city of Tongyong, South Korea.  
They are being studied by Kim Haang-Mook of the University of Pusan.  
Preliminary research suggests that the eggs are about 100 million years old and 
were laid by a herbivorous dinosaur.

I apologize if my limited understanding of French has led me to write anything 
wrong in the above message.  Corrections graciously accepted.

-- Ralph W. Miller III       gbabcock@best.com