110 THE HUMAN SIDE OF BIRDS 



"The dodo used to walk around, 

 And take the sun and air. 

 The sun yet warms his native ground — 

 The dodo is not there! 



That voice which used to squawk and squeak 



Is now forever dumb — 

 Yet you may see his bones and beak 



All in the Mu-se-um." 



Judging from the general structure of their leg 

 bones, their shape, size and formation, most of the 

 giant birds were great walkers and road-makers. 

 Perhaps the most important of the extinct giants 

 brought to the attention of the scientific world 

 were the moas of New Zealand. When the 

 Europeans first occupied this country, over half a 

 century ago, they found there great numbers of 

 bones of gigantic birds strewn over the plains, 

 buried in the river beds, lakes, and swamps, and in 

 the caves. 



In the swamps near Canterbury, especially Glen- 

 mark, these bones were plentiful. In caves there 

 have been found a number of moa skeletons with 

 the skin and feathers still adhering to them. The 

 Maoris well know that these bones and feathers be- 

 long to gigantic birds, yet it is possible that their 

 ancestors never saw them. The best scholars be- 

 lieve that these unfortunate birds were killed by 



