ANIMALS EXTINCT IN THE HISTORIC PERIOD. 347 



ing dinornis can be seriously entertained; on this point the affirmative 

 and negative have both been maintained by zoologists, and especially 

 by the explorers of New Zealand, who, better than any one else, can 

 give reasons for their view. Dr. Thomson, who has made a special 

 study of the spots and caves from which an immense number of bones 

 of these great birds has been taken, is convinced that the famous moas 

 of the Maoris were extinct at least two centuries ago, and will be 

 looked for now in vain, and the proofs he brings in support of this 

 opinion are serious enough to inspire fears lest his prophecy be correct. 

 The taking possession of the New-Zealand Islands by the Maoris is 

 generally assigned to the fifteenth century, and in countries not in- 

 habited by mammals the early settlers must have hunted the great 

 birds, that yield immense supplies of food, in an uns2)aring way. Un- 

 der such circumstances how^ could the destruction of the dinornis have 

 failed to be rapid and very quickly effected ? Tasman, who discov- 

 ered New Zealand in 1642, gained no information on the subject of 

 the moas, although this fact is unimportant, since he maintained very 

 slight relations with the natives ; but their silence in intercourse with 

 other navigators is more significant. Cook explored the country three 

 times, established communication with the inhabitants, had conversa- 

 tions with the great chief Rauparaha, and thus must have known the 

 popular traditions; yet nothing was ever said of gigantic birds. Du- 

 mont d'Urville, a sagacious man, anxious to investigate the life of the 

 tribes he visited, studied the habits and customs of the Maoris ; he 

 fixed his attention on the plants and animals of New Zealand, and 

 nothing led him to suspect the existence of the dinornis. According 

 to Dr. Thomson, the native traditions on this subject are absolutely 

 vague, and bear witness merely to the fact that there were moas liv- 

 ing at the same time with the men of the race now inhabiting the 

 country. No Maori of this day professes to have seen a moa moving 

 about the woods or the plains. The state of complete preservation in 

 which certain remains have been found must be attributed, the same 

 author believes, merely to the peculiarities of the soil in which they 

 were buried. 



Now, those who do not give up the hope of finding some living 

 dinornis, at some time, rely on several indications which perhaps must 

 not be altogether disregarded. The Rev. Mr. Taylor affirms that the 

 Maoris have traditions about the moa-hunts of their ancestors, and 

 songs celebrating the hunters' exploits. Some travelers assert that 

 they have had positive declarations from the natives of the presence 

 of gigantic birds in the mountains ; others declare that they have seen 

 moas, but always ran away in terror at the sight of those strange ani- 

 mals ; and others still suppose that they have seen tracks on the ground 

 indicating the passage of an enormous bird. It is impossible to put 

 much confidence in such stories, but observations on the condition of 

 certain remains ar^ much more striking. On the 16th of June, 1864, 



