228 EXTINCT MONSTERS. 



who pointed out the peculiar interest of this discovery on account 

 of the remarkable character of the existing fauna of New 

 Zealand, which still includes one of the most extraordinary birds 

 of the struthious order ("running birds"), viz. the Apteryx, and 

 also because of the close analogy which the event indicated by 

 the present relic offers to the extinction of the Dodo in the island 

 of Mauritius. On the strength of this one fragment he ventured 

 to assert that there once lived in New Zealand a bird as large as 

 the ostrich, and of the same order. This conclusion was more 

 than confirmed by subsequent discoveries, which he anticipated ; 

 and, as we shall see, his estimate was a most moderate one, for the 

 extinct bird turned out to be considerably larger than the ostrich. 

 Later on he received from a friend in New Zealand news of the 

 discovery of more bones. In 1843 a collection of bones of large 

 birds was sent to Dr. Buckland, Dean of Westminster, by the Rev. 

 William Williams, a zealous and successful Church missionary, 

 long resident in New Zealand. On sending off his consignment 

 Mr. Williams wrote a letter, of which we give the greater part 

 below. 



" Poverty Bay, New Zealand, February 28, 1842. 



"Dear Sir, 



" It is about three years ago, on paying a visit to this 

 coast — south of the East Cape, that the natives told me of some 

 extraordinary monster, which they said was in existence in an 

 inaccessible cavern on the side of a hill near the river Wairoa ; 

 and they showed me at the same time some fragments of bone 

 taken out of the beds of rivers, which they said belonged to this 

 creature, to which they gave the name Moa. 



" When I came to reside in this neighbourhood I heard the 

 same story a little enlarged ; for it was said that this creature was 

 still existing at the said hill, of which the name is Wakapunake, 

 and that it is guarded by a reptile of the lizard species [genus] ; 

 but I could not learn that any of the present generation had 

 seen it. I still considered the whole as an idle fable, but offered 



