of an unknown species of Bird. 83 



tion; finding neither cavern, nor lizard-guards, nor Moa, nor 

 any signs of such uncommon lusus naturce. But what was of 

 far greater interest to me than this relation of theirs, were some 

 bones which I had the good fortune to procure from them, and 

 which were declared by the natives to be true Moa bones. These 

 bones, seven in number, were all imperfect, and comprised five 

 femora, one tibia, and one which I have not yet been able satis- 

 factorily to determine. The largest femur, consisting of the dia- 

 physis only without the processes, measured 8 inches in length, 

 and 4| inches in girth in the narrowest part. The portion of 

 the tibia, which like the femur consisted only of the middle part, 

 measured in length 6 inches, and in circumference 4 inches at 

 the naiTOwest and 5 inches at the widest part. The remaining 

 bone, the largest of all, which was merely a section, measured in 

 length 6 inches, and in circumference 7\ inches at the smallest 

 part. These bones were all (excepting the last-mentioned) of a 

 very dark colour, almost a ferruginous brown, and appeared to 

 have entu-ely lost their oily matter. They were very stout, espe- 

 cially the tibia, and were strongly marked and indented on the 

 outside with muscidar impressions. What little remained within 

 of the reticulated cells appeared to be nearly perfect. They were 

 all found by the natives in the "Waiapu river, and were collected 

 by them for the purpose of cutting up and attaching to their 

 fish-hooks, in order to fish. The portion of tibia which I ob- 

 tained had been sawn across by the native in whose possession it 

 was, for that purpose. I also obtained several hooks, each having 

 portions of Moa's bone attached to it. I could not however 

 ascertain, from the smallness of the slips, whether these had been 

 originally cut out of such bones as those 1 had just procm-ed, or 

 whether they had not been sawn from bones of a different de- 

 scription and larger size. 



Leaving Waia])u, and proceeding by the coast towards the 

 south, I arrived at Poverty Bay, where the Bev. W, Williams 

 resided. This gentleman had had the good fortune to procure a 

 nearly whole tibia of an immense bird, without however the 

 entire processes of either end. This bone mcasm-ed about 18 

 inches in length, and was proportionably thick. Mr. Williams 

 wishing to send this unique relic to Oxford, I left a pair oi femora 

 to accompany it, in order, if possible, to obtain from that seat of 

 learning some light on these increasingly interesting remains. 

 At Poverty Bay I made several incpiiries after Moa bones, but 

 to little pm-pose, as I could not obtain any. 



Quitting Poverty Bay, and still travelling in a southern direc- 

 tion, I soon came within sight of Wakapunake, the mountain 

 celebrated as the residence of the only surviving Moa. As 

 natives lived about its base, among whom my route lay, I looked 



G2 



