CHAP. ix.J GLIMPSES OF EVIDENCE. 367 



native and a second Englishman, went to the spot; 

 that after waiting some time, they saw the creature at 

 some little distance, which they describe as being four- 

 teen or sixteen feet high. One of the men proposed 

 to go nearer and shoot, but his companion was so ex- 

 ceedingly terrified, or perhaps both of them, that they 

 were satisfied with looking at him, when in a little time 

 he took the alarm, and strode away up the side of the 

 mountain. The incident might not have been worth men- 

 tioning, had it not been for the extraordinary agreement 

 in point of size of the bird. There are the bones which 

 will satisfy you that such a bird has been, and there is 

 said to be the living bird, the supposed size of which, 

 given by an independent witness, precisely agrees." 



In 1843, Colonel Wakefield writes, " I received lately 

 your (Mr. Gowen's) letter respecting the Moa, with 



Professor Owen's notice I have heard several 



stories of live Moas having been seen ; one, that the 

 enormous size (higher than our storied houses), fright- 

 ened the person, an Englishman, who was going to 

 shoot it ; but I don't believe any one has seen a live 

 one lately. I intend to make further inquiries amongst 

 the old natives." 



In 1844, Captain Sir Everard Home wrote, "I feel 

 little doubt that the Dinornis exists in the Middle 

 Island of New Zealand, which is very thinly inhabited 

 and almost quite unknown; perhaps also in Stewart's 

 Island, where it is said that the Cassowary (Moa?) is 

 to be found." 



The latest intelligence is to be found in a recent 

 number of the " Sydney Herald," which observes, that 

 if Mr. Taylor can be relied on, this bird may probably 

 be still discovered alive as Europeans advance into the 



