9198 Birds. 
talk of a gigantic moa turning up with future explorations seems to me 
mere idle speculation. 
The whole of the North Island has now been explored, at any rate 
sufficiently for the purpose, and the general character of the half-ex- 
plored West-coast regions of the Middle Island,—rough, mountainous 
and wooded,—blights all hope of moa discovery in ¢hat direction. 
But I must qualify what I have said by explaining that by “ moa” 
I mean the Dinornis, of which there appear to have been at least six 
species (D. robustus, D. dromioides, D. rheides, D. struthioides, D. cur- 
tus and D. didiformis). The natives applied the name “ moa” indis- 
criminately not only to these but to several other species of smaller 
stature and belonging to genera altogether distinct. The Notornis 
and the Apteryx they distinguish as the “ molio” and “kiwi,” but the 
three other ascertained genera, Palapteryx, Brachypteryx and Aptornis 
were all “ moas” with the Maories. 
The Palapteryx (of which more presently) was a brevi-pennate bird, 
resembling in its principal characters the emeu of Australia, and 
standing about seven or eight feet high. The Brachypteryx is described 
as a gigantic short-winged rail; and the Aptornis as equalling in size 
the great bustard (Olés tarda), to which, in its osteological structure, 
it has some affinity. 
Now, it is not only possible but highly probable that some of these 
smaller struthious birds still inhabit the solitudes of the Middle Island 
and the unexplored forests of the North. Their remains have been 
found mixed with those of the “ moa” (proper) in the menaccanite- 
sand deposits of Waiugougoro, and in the moa-beds of Waikouaiti. 
Those from Waiugougoro especially are in a high state of preservation, 
owing probably to the character of the sediment in which they lie 
embedded: these bones have been interpreted and classified, with 
wonderful sagacity, by Professor Owen. Brachypteryx remains are 
scarce, and, compared with Dinornis, Palapteryx remains are very 
local in their distribution. Not long ago, however, I found in a sand- 
hill, a few miles up the Manawatu River, a small bone which I marked 
“ Palapteryx ?” and sent in to Mantell for examination. He confirms 
my opinion. If we are right in the conjecture, the discovery is an 
important one. Aptornis bones are common enough, I think, in the 
Middle Island, but only a few imperfect specimens (so far as I am 
aware) have found their way to Europe. Owen originally mistook the 
bones of Aptornis for those of a Dinornis, naming the supposed new 
species Dinornis Otidiformis. Dr. Mantell was the first to point out 
the distinct generic characters. 
