1865.] DR. J. HECTOR ON THE BONES OF DINORNIS. 749 
9. Notes ON THE MOaA-BONES IN THE NEw ZEALAND EXHIBITION 
or 1865. By James Hector, M.D., F.G.S., Direcror or 
THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF New ZEALAND*, 
In a collection of the natural resources and curiosities of New 
Zealand like that recently gathered together in the Exhibition which 
has just closed, as might be expected, the large wingless birds which 
once were so abundant in these islands were well represented by 
numerous specimens of their remains. Still, considering the pro- 
fusion of Moa-bones which not only occur imbedded in the alluvial 
soil, but in parts of the country actually lie strewn on the surface, 
it is to be regretted that a more systematic search is not conducted 
by settlers and others possessing the necessary facilities, in order not 
only to obtain more perfect sets of the bones of the skeleton, but 
also, by amassing a large number of specimens from various districts, 
to afford a means of determining how many distinct kinds of these 
interesting birds existed. No extensive collection has ever, so far 
as the writer is aware, been made since that by Mr. Walter Mantell, 
which formed the basis for the admirable series of monographs on 
the structure of these birds by Professor Owen. Many fragmentary 
collections have doubtless been sent by private hands; but little or 
nothing has been added to our knowledge on the subject, with the 
exception of that which, I suppose, has been derived from the study 
of a remarkably fresh skeleton, which was sent from this province in 
the beginning of last year to the York Museum, and which has 
since been described by Mr. Allis in the ‘Journal of the Linnean 
Society,’ and by Prof. Owen in the ‘ Transactions of the Zoological 
Society.’ This specimen is chiefly remarkable from being the first 
instance where any part of the integument or ligaments still remained 
attached to the skeletont. 
The following notes and the measurements of the various Moa- 
bones in the Exhibition are intended to direct attention to the sub- 
ject, and to show the immense variety of those interesting remains 
which might be collected without an effort, if their true value to 
science were only properly known and appreciated. 
List of the various collections of Moa-bones in the New Zealand 
Exhibition at Dunedin, 1865. 
In the Otago Museum :— 
1. Complete (or nearly so) skeleton of Dinornis casuarinus, set up 
by the writer. This skeleton stands about 5 feet 8 inches in height. 
The head is from a different locality, and may belong to a different 
species. The rest of the bones were all found together in relative 
position in digging in the Botanic Gardens in Dunedin. The bones 
were imbedded in a deposit of ‘“ Vivianite,”” or phosphate of iron, 
derived from their decomposition in contact with ferruginous waters. 
It is extremely common to find the cells in Moa-bones filled with 
crystals of this mineral. 
2. A complete set of leg- and foot-bones of D. giganteus, exhibited 
* Communicated to the Society by Mr. W. H. Flower, F.R.S., F.Z.S. 
t See Mr, Dallas’s paper anted, p. 265. 
