of an unknuicn species uf Bird. 91 



cess, and that it is in the family Striitkionidcs where they will, 

 doubtless, eventually be found, we are induced, for the present 

 at least, to place the Moa in that gigantic group. In the ab- 

 sence, however, of a specimen of an Aptei-yx'^ with which to 

 compare the few bones we at present possess of the Moa, I should, 

 I confess, be hazarding an opinion in saying that it was most 

 nearly alhed to that peculiar genus ; yet when we consider, that 

 out of the five existing genera of this family, three at least, ap- 

 parently possessing the nearest affinities to the remains of the 

 bird before us, belong exclusively to the southernmost parts of 

 the southern hemispheref, and that a connecting link is, as it 

 were, wanting between the Rhea of the Straits of Magellan, the 

 Di-omiceus of Nev*' Holland, the Casuarius of the Indian Archi- 

 pelago, and the Apteryx of New Zealand, and that this connect- 

 ing link may, in all probability, be supplied in the Moa ; I think 

 we shall be constrained to assign our Moa a place between the 

 genera Casuarius and Apteryx, possessing as it does (onlj^ in a 

 nmch greater degree) the immense size and strength of the 

 former, combined with the short tarsi, and probably wingless 

 structure of the latter. 



I ventui-e however to suppose, that we may gain an addi- 

 tional gleam of light, both upon the probable period at which 

 the Moa existed, and also on the family to which it may be allied, 

 by a consideration of the etymology of its name. The word 

 Moa, whence is it derived? I confess, I know not any New 

 Zealand word from which it may be supposed to have derived its 

 origin. And this will seem the more remarkable when we con- 

 sider, that a very great number of New Zealand appellatives 

 are not only derived and easily traceable, but are also generally 

 highly expressive of some action or quality of the thing itself; 

 chietiy too is this to be observed when such action or quality 

 is peculiar or uncommon. But in the Moa, the most uncom- 

 mon animal New Zealand has ever produced (especially in the 

 estimation of a native), we have a cognomen which seems an 

 entire exception to the common rule ; for, as far I understand it 

 at present, it has, in reference to this immense animal, no mean- 

 ing whatever. Fm-ther, it may not be amiss also to notice e7i 

 passant, that it is of rare occurreiice in the language to find 

 anything beai'ing so very short an appellative as the bird in 

 question. In the Friendly, Society, and Sandwich groups, the 

 term " Moa " has been, I believe, invariably given by the natives 

 of those islands to the domestic cock, and used as the proper 



* It has been my good fortune to liave at difTevent times several speci- 

 mens of the Jpteryx in my possession ; at present, l^owever, I have not one, 

 nor do I know in whose possession one is to be found in New Zealand. 



f See Note E., Appendix. 



