238 Transactions. — Zoology. 



which they were cooked, and the comparative absence of 

 any other inducement (wekas being the only other possible 

 prey) for hunters to visit and camp on such an inhospitable 

 spot, all point to these being moa-hunters' encampments, to 

 which blocks of suitable stone have been brought from afar to 

 serve as knives for the feast. The caves and shelters in the 

 huge mass of mountains close at hand have furnished some of 

 the best-preserved specimens of the moa yet found, and were, 

 no doubt, a summer feeding-ground of the moa, to which yearly 

 expeditions were made. 



The forms of the stone implements are different from the 

 majority of those found on the coastal encampments, and 

 some approach the leaf-shape so closely as to preclude the 

 suggestion of chance, and seem to indicate their use as points 

 for spears or darts. The majority of the flakes were of the 

 " turtle-backed " type, and probably used for cutting purposes. 

 Their size, however, was very small compared with the 

 monsters found at the Shag Point camp, an average specimen 

 being about 75mm. long by about 30mm. wide, while the Shag 

 Point ones are sometimes 220mm. long and 80mm. or 90mm. 

 wide. I also found a thin disc of slate, sharpened at the edge, 

 about 90mm. in diameter. These discs are not uncommon in 

 the older middens along the coast-line. 



Art. XXVII. — Zoological Notes : (1.) Arboreal Nests of Bush- 

 rat (Mus maorium) ; (2.) Paryphanta hochstetteri found 

 'at Low Levels at West Wanganui. 



By E. I. Kingsley. 



[Bead before the Nelson Philosophical Society, 12th March, 1894.] 



Some few weeks since Mr. H. V. Gully observed a nest of a 

 rat in the branches of a small tree or large shrub at Awaroa, 

 near Totaranui. On his mentioning the circumstance to me, 

 at my request he sent for the nest, which I now exhibit. It 

 was at a height of from 4ft. to 5ft. from the ground. His 

 attention was drawn to it by observing a rat leaving it and 

 descending the stem of the tree. On examination he found 

 there were two or three other nests near by, and in one of 

 these there were four young rats. From the appearance of 

 the mature animal Mr. Gully believes it to be not of the 

 common type (Mus decumarms), but rather of the same species 

 as those which appeared in such swarms in the spring of 



