4564 THE ZooLocist—Avcust, 1875. 
Concerning the existence of human bones in the lower beds, 
I may here add that portions of the right ramus of a lower jaw 
were found in the western side in the marine sands, about six inches 
below their surface, which might have been carried in by the surf, 
as near it the greater portion of the skeleton of a fur seal was 
excavated, which was doubtless brought in in the same manner. 
This lower jaw had belonged to a not quite full-grown man, the 
last molar just making its appearance. There was not the least 
sign of such bones either in the agglomerate or in the ash and 
dirt bed above it, thus confirming similar observations made at the 
Rakaia encampment. Amongst the bones collected in the Maori 
or shell beds were two pelvic bones belonging to a full-grown 
male, and the ninth dorsal vertebra, not quite mature; all three 
were entire, and it is difficult to say how they may have been 
brought into the cave; but as there was, through the whole thick- 
ness of these beds, not the least sign of any broken human bone, it 
appears obvious that, during all the time the shell-fish eaters were 
in occupation of the ground, they were either not cannibals or had 
such a peaceful existence, not being at war with neighbouring 
tribes, that they had no opportunity to indulge in that horrible 
practice. However, looking at the long lapse of time during which 
the shell-fish eaters were in possession of the ground, and the 
insecurity of life to which savage tribes are exposed, I am inclined 
to believe that, had they been cannibals when the lower portions 
of the shell beds were formed, there would certainly be some 
evidence of it. 
My friend, the Rev. J. W. Stack, at my request, has made 
inquiries amongst the older natives in Kaiapoi, and has been 
informed by them that the cave in question had been a common 
resort of their fishing parties some thirty years ago, so that some of 
the uppermost beds might have been formed by their refuse; but 
as cannibalism has been practised at least for several centuries in 
New Zealand, the absence of human bones in the shell beds cer- 
tainly proves that they are of considerable antiquity, which is still 
more strengthened by the curious fact that, amongst the hundreds 
of bones belonging to small birds, not a vestige of the weka (Ocy- 
dromus Australis) has been met with, the same being the fact with 
the lower or moa-hunter beds—a feature they have in common with 
those occurring in the Rakaia encampment. As far back as the 
traditions of the Maoris go, allusion is made in their songs to the 
