White. — Was there a Sivimming Moa ? 341 



of this anserine form, which was certainly contemporaneous 

 with the colossal moas, was obtained by the Hon. Captain 

 Eraser in the Earnscleugh Caves, and was afterwards pre- 

 sented by him to the British Museum."-^' Taking into con- 

 sideration that Sir Eichard Owen was clearly at first sight of 

 opinion that the parts of this species which he had under 

 examination showed moa-like peculiarities, and comparing 

 this circumstance with Mr. Marsh's letter, we may, I think, 

 safely infer the probability that Cnemiornis was a swimming, 

 or swan-like, moa. 



In the Chathams Mr. H. O. Forbes found "thousands 

 of swan-bones " on the site which was pointed out as the 

 spot where the Moriori in olden times killed and cooked 

 the great bird poua. May not this bird have also been a 

 swan-like moa? We are naturally surprised at the total 

 extinction by primitive means of a bird having the saga- 

 city and great powers of flight possessed by the swans. 

 Moreover, Mr. Forbes had previously discovered the re- 

 mains of a swan intermixed with moa-bones and shells, the 

 refuse thrown by the occupants of a cave at Sumner towards 

 the mouth of the cave after each primitive repast. I have 

 felt surprise at not having heard further details or remarks by 

 Mr. H. 0. Forbes or others on these swan-like birds of New 

 Zealand and the Chathams. No doubt we shall hear more 

 about them soon, interest therein having been revived owing 

 to the finding of this swan- like moa in America, actually 

 "with the feathers in place" and of the true struthioid 

 character. 



Within the last thirty years or so the Australian black 

 swan (Cygnus atratus) has been introduced into New Zealand, 

 and it is increasing and spreading over the whole country 

 wherever an expanse of water is found, even at Waikaremoana, 

 " the lake of rippling water," in the so-called " King-country," 

 which has only recently, by permission of the native owners, 

 become accessible to the European. And now man, with the 

 assistance of all the arts of gunnery and other devices, could 

 not possibly exterminate the black swan in New Zealand. 

 How, then, did the original inhabitants of this country exter- 

 minate the swan indigenous to the land? The swans are 

 birds of the present time, and their tenure of existence is by 

 no means " played out." I would suggest that the reason of 

 the extinction of the swan-like birds of New Zealand will be 

 found in their being flightless, and consequently they and 

 their eggs were easily obtained by man, the ruthless de- 

 stroyer. 



* See also Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. vi., p. 76, pis. x.-xiv.A, " On Cnemi- 

 ornis calcitrans, Owen, showiug its Affinity to the Lamellirostrate nata- 

 tores,'" by James Hector, M.D., F.R.S. 



