Wilson. — Footprints of the Moa. 211 



Art. XXIV. — Footprints of the Moa. 

 By K. Wilson, M.A. 



[Read before the Mdwuvntu Philosophicd Society. 19th Auc/ust. 1912.] 

 Plate II. 



A HEAVY fresli which occurred on the 13th August last in the Manawatu 

 River, by washing away the bank (there 15 ft. high) near the foot of Fitzrov 

 Street, within the Borough of Palmerston North, disclosed some very dis- 

 tinct impressions of the footprints of a moa on a bed of stiff blue clay. Four 

 of these footprints were particularly distinct, in a line at right angles to the 

 bed of the river. They were discovered by Mr. Coles, of Palmerston, who 

 at once communicated the fact of the discovery to Mr. Gardner, the Presi- 

 dent of the local Philosophical Society, and at his instigation the foot- 

 prints were carefully cut out and placed in the Society's museum. Before 

 removal they were photographed, and accurate measurements taken. 



These measurements were : Across the foot from toe to toe, 18 in. : 

 from point of middle toe to heel, 12 in. ; and from heel to heel, 30 in. Plaster 

 casts have been taken, and copies may be obtained if required. 



As has been stated, the footprints were 15 ft. below the level of the 

 surrounding land, on which there had been heavy bush. 



Note by Professor Benham. 



Footprints of a large bird, no doubt one of ,the species of moa, were 

 described by Archdeacon W. L. Williams as long ago as 1871 (Trans. N.Z. 

 Inst., vol. 4, p. 124) at Turanganui, Poverty Bay. The length of the 

 middle toe from tip to back of heel was 7f in., while across the foot from 

 the tip of the outer to tip of inner toe was 7 in. The interval between 

 the steps was about 20 in. The block of stone containing these prints 

 was presented to the Auckland Museum The same and other prints were 

 seen, and described in the same volume, by the Hon. T. G. Gillies, who also 

 presented the specimens to the Museum 



In 1894 Mr. H. Hill saw and described and figured foot-marks near the 

 right bank of the Manawatu River at Palmerston North (Trans. N.Z. Inst., 

 vol. 27, p. 476). They were then about 6 ft. above the water, but " must 

 be covered with water, or nearly so, during winter." He then notes that 

 " the top of the river-bank would be about 18 ft. above the deposit 

 containing the footprints." These were somewhat numerous, but only 

 about eight of them were clear and distinct at the time of his visit. The 

 length of the middle toe to heel was 15 in., and the distance from tip to tip 

 of outer and inner toes about the same. The length of step was about 

 26 in. These measurements were taken, we are told, by Mr. Gilberd, near 

 whose place the footprints were found. The shght discrepancy between 

 them and those of the present specimens are possibly due to the depth and 

 distinctness of the impression. It is not an easy matter to take verv 

 accurate measurements of impressions in a softish mud. It seems hkely 

 that the prints seen l^y Mr. Hill have been worn away by the river, and that 

 the new ones discovered under what was then the river-bank are a con- 

 tinuation of that series. Mr. Hill places the age of the bed in which they 

 occur as " later Pleistocene." 



