232 EXTINCT MONSTERS. 



enable him to calculate the size of the egg when complete. *' As 

 a rough guess, I may say that a common hat would have served as 

 an egg-cup for it : what a loss for the breakfast-table ! And if many 

 native traditions are worthy of credit, the ladies have cause to 

 mourn the extinction of the Moa : the long feathers of its crest 

 were by their remote ancestors prized above all other ornaments ; 

 those of the White Crane, which now bear the highest value, were 

 mere pigeon's feathers in comparison." 



The total number of species of Moa once inhabiting New 

 Zealand was probably at least fifteen, and, judging from the 

 enormous accumulations of their bones found in some districts, 

 they must have been extremely common, and probably went 

 about in flocks. " Birds of a feather 7?^^/^ together " (proverb). 



It is justly concluded, both from the vast number of bones 

 discovered, and from the fact of their great diversity in size and 

 other features, that they must have had the country pretty much 

 to themselves ; or, in other words, they enjoyed immunity from 

 the attacks of carnivorous quadrupeds. In whatever way the 

 Moas originated in New Zealand, it is evident that the land was 

 a favourable one, for they multiplied enormously, and spread 

 from one end to the other. Not only was the number of 

 individuals very large, but they belonged (according to Mr. F. W, 

 Hutton) to no less than seven genera, containing twenty-five 

 different species, a remarkable fact which is unparalleled in any 

 other part of the world. The species described by Professor 

 Owen in his great work,^ vary in size from 3 ft. to 12 or even 

 14 ft. in height, and differ greatly in their forms, some being 

 tall and slender, and probably swift-footed like the ostrich, whilst 

 others were short and had stout limbs, such as Dinornis elephanto- 



* Memoir on The Extijict Wingless Birds of Nav Zealand. London, 1878. 

 The beautiful drawing by Mr. Smit (Plate XXIV.) is from a photograph in 

 this valuable work representing the late Sir Richard Owen standing in his 

 academic robes by the side of a specimen of the skeleton of the great Dinornis 

 maximus. 



