Hill. — The Moa — Legendary, Historical, and Geological. 333 



It was in; November, 1839, that Professor Owen read his celebrated 

 paper before the Zoological Society of London describing a bone new to 

 science that had been purchased from a Mr. Rule, who said it had been 

 brought by him from New Zealand. The bone was an imperfect one, but 

 Owen recognized it as the bone of a bird, and boldly announced the former 

 and perhaps present existence of a huge, bird in New Zealand. We may 

 suppose that Owen at this time had read Polack's volumes, which were 

 published in 1838, containing reference to "large fossii ossifications " that 

 had been seen in the vicinity of the East Cape. 



It is important to keep :n mind the month of November, 1839, in con- 

 nection with Professor Owen's first paper. Owen showed that the " fossil 

 ossifications " referred to by Polack m his book were none other than those 

 of birds, and that the traditions handed down by the Natives to the effect 

 that "' in time Jong past . . . very large birds had existed " in the 

 country was true in fact. Owen had said in his famous paper that a bird 

 such as he described might be stLl living, but the Native tradition received 

 in times long past by ancestors of the Natives who to.d Polack affirmed the 

 bird had been exterminated in times long past in order to provide food for 

 the Natives. 



Nearly two years before Professor Owen's first paper was read the Rev. 

 William Williams and Mr. Coienso, as explained above, had travelled down 

 the east coast of the North Island. Mr. Colenso's account of the journey 

 is available for reference (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 12, p. 63). The two 

 travellers started from the Bay of Islands on the 1st January, and returned 

 on the 13th February, 1838. 



Here is what Mr. Colenso wrote in 1842 for the " Tasmanian Journal," 

 referring to the information first gleaned by him of " fossil oss fications," 

 to be known subsequently as " moa-bones " : " During the summer 1838 

 I accompanied the Rev. W. Williams on a visit to the tribes inhabiting 

 the East Coast district. Whilst at Waiapu [vide map], a thickiy inhabited 

 locality about twenty miles south-west from the East Cape, I heard from 

 ihe Natives of a certain monstrous animal. Whilst some said it was a 

 bird and others ' a person,' all agreed that it was called ' moa ' ; that in 

 general appearance it somewhat resembled an immense domestic cock, with 

 the difference, however, of its having a face like a man ; that it dwelt in a 

 cavern in a precipitious side of a mountain ; that it lived on air ; and that 

 it was guarded or attended by two immense tuataras, who, Argus-like, kept 

 incessant watch while the moa slept ; also that if any one ventured to 

 approach the dwelling of this wonderful creature he would be invariably 

 trampled on and killed by it." 



This account differs somewhat from that given by Polack, but it suggests 

 also a reference to what the latter writer states of the birds found m the 

 South Island that were covered with hair, and that ihey killed and devoured 

 human beings. Although differing in details, the statements suffice to show 

 that throughout the East Coast traditions existed among the Natives of ihe 

 former existence of strange and curious animals. The discovery of large 

 bones in the river-beds confirmed the Natives in their opinion, and especi- 

 ally so as there were no animals in the country larger than the native dog. 



There * appears to be no doubt that Mr. Rule was the first person to 

 carry a moa-bone to England and bring it under the notice o scientific 

 men ; and it was this same bone that enabled Professor Owen to build up 

 his imaginary bird, and to announce to a wondering world that " there 

 had existed and perhaps still exists in New Zealand a race of struthioua 



