EwEN. — 0)1, Moa-rcviains on Biverton Beach. 651 



Art. LXVII. — On the Discovery of Moa-remains on 

 Biverton Beach. 



By C. A. EwEN. 



Communicated by Captain F. W. Hutton, F.K.S. 



[Read before Uie Pldlosophical Instittite of CanterbiLry, 7tJi August, 1895.] 



On the 13th March, 1895, Messrs. Graves, Brodrick, and 

 Ewen discovered the skeleton of a moa [skeleton I.] on the 

 sandhills about eight miles from Invercargill, near the Inver- 

 cargill-Eiverton beach road, and about one mile from the 

 sea. These sandhills are constantly shifting with every gale 

 that blows. Islands of sand are dotted about, held together 

 by flax-bushes, and marking the original level of the hills. 

 The bones had been buried beneath 8ft. or 10ft. of sand, and 

 were consequently in a very fair state of preservation. Only 

 a portion of the pelvis was visible ; the rest of the skeleton 

 was buried in the wet sand which had not dried sufficiently to 

 be affected by the wind. The sand was scraped away, and, 

 after an hour's work, the whole skeleton was exposed to view. 

 The bird appeared to be lying as it had died, its legs doubled 

 under its body, and its neck stretched out on the sand. The 

 pelvis and ribs were brittle, but the leg-bones and vertebrae 

 were in very fair condition. All the bones were gathered to- 

 gether and removed to Invercargill. Unfortunately, the jolt- 

 ing of the buggy over the hills damaged the tender bones and 

 broke the sternum to pieces. However, the skull and larger 

 bones arrived in safety. In a day or two they were dry 

 enough to be packed, and were placed together in a box to be 

 brought to Christchurch. The gizzard-stones were found with 

 the skeleton. 



A few days later, on the 18th March, two members of 

 the same party discovered another almost-complete skeleton 

 [skeleton II.] about half a mile from the spot where the first 

 was found. As in the first instance, only the back of the 

 pelvis was visible, the rest of the bird being buried in wet 

 sand as before. The skull was a particularly good specimen, 

 and the ribs and smaller bones were carried to Invercargill 

 with less damage than on the former occasion. 



About two hundred tracheal rings w^ere found with this 

 skeleton. The ground around was searched for other skele- 

 tons, but no other bones could be found. About 300 yards 

 away a considerable quaiatity of egg-shell was, however, 

 gathered together, enough to fill a pint measure. It is quite 

 possible that, as the sand shifts in the course of time, other 

 skeletons will be exposed to view. 



