90 Transactions. — Zoology. 



to the section will show that at A and B there were two 

 distinct layers of guano thickly studded with the smaller bird- 

 bones, and much hardened and consolidated, possibly by the 

 trampling of birds. The space marked C, as mentioned above, 

 contained the best bones, but all in the greatest confusion: only 

 in a few instances did we obtain anything like a complete 

 skeleton of any bird with the bones in approximation. 



On our last visit we went to a depth of 8ft. at C, and got 

 bones in profusion. Much as I wished to do so, we found it 

 impossible to go deeper, as the earth above would keep coming 

 in on us. At D we found a hollow, or open shelter, which 

 was almost if not quite closed with the accumulated earth. 

 A large number of bones were got from this part. 



At E, some little distance under the surface, Mr. Mitchell 

 found a crevice which appeared to lead into another cave. 

 The prospect of a new and untouched deposit fired us with the 

 greatest enthusiasm, and we dug the soil away till the aperture 

 appeared ; but, alas ! it was only 9in. wide at the mouth — much 

 too narrow for either of us to squeeze through. Placing a 

 lighted candle on the end of a long stick we pushed it in and 

 saw a cave, not very large, but very pretty, as the floor was 

 thickly covered with bird-skeletons all covered with the pure- 

 white efflorescence from the limestone roof, like snow. Great 

 expectations were formed as we took it in turns to hammer at 

 the narrow openiug with my geological pick, and, after more 

 than an hour's work and numerous trials, Mr. Mitchell, being 

 an inch or so less than I, managed to wriggle in on his side. 

 He then gathered up the bones and passed them out to me, 

 literally in " hatfuls." 



The floor of the short passage, which widened a little after 

 the entrance, was very hard, as if trodden down by the passage 

 of birds. 



The end of the little cave was a small irregular chasm, de- 

 scending vertically, which was too small to examine properly. 



At F, at the other end of the cave, there was another lateral 

 opening, 10ft. or 12ft. high at the mouth, and extending 

 perhaps 20ft. This was covered on the floor with soft crumbly 

 stalagmitic deposit, but no bones were found in it. 



As the result so far of our examination, I find that, of still- 

 existing birds of flight, a considerable number of species are 

 represented, but naturally only in small numbers. They in- 

 clude owls, hawks, crows, petrels, and some of the smaller 

 perching-birds. The distinct group of birds which we call in 

 general terms moas was well represented by the species 

 living in that part of the country, and some excellent skeletons 

 of some of the smaller species were obtained, and some in- 

 structive specimens of immature birds, which promise to yield 

 interesting information on obscure points. 



