ROOM II. THE MOA OF NEW ZEALAND. 93 



collector of organic remains among the most precious of his 

 acquisitions : until a few years ago, when a most extraordinary 

 discovery in New Zealand astonished and delighted the palae- 

 ontologist, by placing before him hundreds of bones of extinct 

 genera of birds, some of which must have far surpassed in 

 stature the most gigantic living biped the Ostrich. 



THE MOA OF NEW ZEALAND. Native Traditions. 1 In 

 various districts of New Zealand there had been occasionally 

 observed in the beds of the mountain-torrents and rivers, 

 bones of several kinds of birds, of almost incredible magni- 

 tude. 



The Maoris, or natives, were acquainted with the occurrence 

 of such bones long ere the country was visited by Europeans ; 

 and traditions were rife among them that a race of gigantic 

 birds formerly existed in great numbers, and served as food to 

 their remote ancestors. They also believed that some of the 

 largest species had been seen alive within the memory of 

 man, and that individuals were still existing in the unfre- 

 quented and inaccessible parts of the country. They called 

 the bird MOA, and stated that its head and tail were adorned 

 with plumes of magnificent feathers, which were worn and 

 much prized by their ancient chiefs as ornaments of dis- 

 tinction. The bones were sought for with avidity, and were 

 used in the manufacture of lures for fish-hooks, and other 

 implements. 



The first European who appears to have taken cognizance 

 of these facts, and paid attention to the native traditions on 

 the subject, was the intelligent and active missionary, the 

 Rev. W. Colenso, who in a journey to the East Cape District 

 with the Rev. J. Williams, had his curiosity strongly excited 

 by the accounts given by the natives of the prodigious 



1 The following account of the Fossil Birds of New Zealand comprises 

 the substance of a Lecture delivered by the Author before the BRITISH 

 ASSOCIATION OP SCIENCE at Edinburgh, August 5th, 1851. The history 

 of the discovery is drawn up from various sources ; principally from 

 the letters of my eldest son, MR. WALTER MANTELL, of Wellington, who 

 has resided in the colony upwards of eleven years : the geological facts 

 "are entirely the result of his personal observations. The anatomical 

 descriptions, and the determination of ihe zoological characters and 

 relations of the various species and genera, are chiefly abstracts of the 

 valuable " Memoirs on the Di norms, &c.," by PROFESSOR OWEN, in the 

 " Zoological Transactions" vols. iii. and iv. 



