Mantell on Fossil Remains from New Zealand. 43 



extends inland, and has clearly been produced by the eroding action of 

 the river. Driven from its course, probably by a change in the reiaiive 

 level of the land and sea, it has formed its present channel, which cuts 

 through a hundred feet of loose conglomerate, overlying a bed of 

 finely laminated sand, and containing wood in a very recent state, — so 

 recent as to bear cutting with a knife. 



"The conglomerate is composed of an infinite variety of volcanic 

 rocks, with numerous immense rounded masses of the same kind. 

 The clay abounds in marine shells, all of existing species (?); the up- 

 per layers contain but few shells, but the lowermost abound in them, 

 and they are in a perfect state — not drifted shells. In a stratum of 

 sand at VVanganui the shells of a sandy bottomed sea are found, with 

 some fragments of large Nautili. 



" Between Takikau and Ohawetokotoko there is a wide flat of undu- 

 lating sand, about two hundred yards across. On my first visit the 

 surface was covered with bones of men, moas and seals, &c, which 

 had been overhauled by the Rev. R. Taylor. I had some deep open- 

 ings made near the base of the ancient cliffs, under the Pa Oliawe ; 

 and at the same level as that on which were the strewn fragments of 

 bones I have mentioned, I came to the regular bone-deposit. The 

 bones were mostly perfect in shape, but so soft, that if grasped strongly 

 they would change, as if by magic, into clay. Unfortunately the na- 

 tives soon caught sight of my operations, and came down the shoals, 

 trampling on the bones I had carefully extracted and lain out to dry. 

 My patience was tried to the utmost, and to avoid blows I was obliged 

 to retreat and leave them in full possession of the field ; and to diguing 

 they went in right earnest, and quickly made sad havoc. No sooner 

 was a bone perceived than a dozen pounced upon it, and began scratch- 

 ing away the sand as if for their lives; and the bone was of course 

 smashed to pieces. I am only surprised that I ultimately succeeded in 

 getting any entire. 



"The natives affirm that this sand-flat to Rangatapu was one of the 

 places first dwelt upon by their ancestors ; and this seems not unlikely, 

 for in digging in various places I found small circular beds of ashes 

 a nd charcoal and bones, very ancient, and such as are generally left by 

 the native fires that have been long lighted in the same spot. Fragments 

 of obsidian, native flint, two fishing-line siones and a whalebone rneri 

 (a sort of weapon) were also dug up. The natives told me, and their 

 assertion was borne out by the appearance of the place, that within 

 their memory the entire area had been covered by drift-sand ; in fact, 

 the bones seemed always to be imbedded on or beneath an old surface- 

 level. Columns of vertebrae when uncovered were lying in situ and 

 Perfect, with, in rare instances, skull and pelvis; but to preserve these 

 Precious relics was impossible while beset with the hordes of natives; 

 a °d I could not drive or bribe them away. 



"The largest femur, tibia and fibula were lying in their natural con- 

 nection—the leg slightly bent at the knee; a chain of vertebra of the 

 argest size was discovered near them, and I doubt not ihe whole be- 

 longed to the same colossal bird. You will readily imagine how exas- 

 perating it was to me to see specimen after specimen destroyed before 

 m y eves, with no possibiliy of preventing it. From your ignorance 



