GIANT BIRDS. 229 



a large reward to any one who would catch me either the bird 

 or its protector. . . ." 



These offers procured the collection of a considerable number 

 of fossil bones, on which Mr. Williams, in his letter, makes the 

 following observations : — 



" None of these bones have been found on the dry land, but 

 are all of them from the banks and beds of fresh-water rivers, 

 buried only a little distance in the mud. . . . All the streams are 

 in immediate connection with hills of some altitude. 



" 2. This bird was in existence here at no very distant time, 

 though not in the memory of any of the inhabitants ; for the bones 

 are found in the beds of the present streams, and do not appear 

 to have been brought into their present situation by the action 

 of any violent rush of waters. 



" 3. They existed in considerable numbers " — an observation 

 which has since been abundantly confirmed. 



" 4. It may be inferred that this bird was long-lived, and that 

 it was many years before it attained its full size." This is 

 doubtful. 



" 5. The greatest height of the bird was probably not less than 

 fourteen or sixteen feet." Fourteen is probably the extreme 

 limit. 



" Within the last few days I have obtained a piece of informa- 

 tion worthy of notice. Happening to speak to an American 

 about these bones, he told me that the bird is still in existence 

 in the neighbourhood of Cloudy Bay, in Cook's Straits. He said 

 that the natives there had mentioned to an Englishman belono-ing 

 to a whaling party that there was a bird of extraordinary size to 

 be seen only at night, on the side of a hill near the place, and 

 that he, with a native and a second Englishman, went to the spot ; 

 that, after waiting some time, they saw the creature at a little 

 distance, which they describe as being about fourteen or sixteen 

 feet high. One of the men proposed to go nearer and shoot, but 

 his companion was so exceedingly terrified, or perhaps both of 



