312 Prof. Hitchcock on Ichnolithology, or Fossil Footmarks. 



While on this subject, may I be allowed to delay long enough 

 to state one or two very curious facts, that have lately fallen un- 

 der my notice, as related by Capts, Cook and Flinders. They 

 relate to some nests of birds discovered by these voyagers on the 

 coast of New Holland, of enormous size. I have long been in the 

 habit in my lectures, of reading these accounts as a part of the 

 poetry of footmarks, in connection with others manifestly fabulous. 

 But since the history of the Dinornis has appeared, the question 

 has arisen in my mind, whether the statements of these navigators 

 must not be true. The nest seen by Capt. Cook, was on a small 

 island in about 14° south latitude, on the northeast coast of New 

 Holland. In his visit to the island he was accompanied by Sir 

 Joseph Banks. "At two in the afternoon," says he, "there being 

 no hopes of clear weather, we set out from Lizard Island to return 

 to the ship, and in our way landed upon the low sandy island with 

 trees upon it, which we had remarked in our going out. Upon 

 this island we saw an incredible nimiber of birds, chiefly sea fowl. 

 We found also the nest of an eagle with young ones, which we 

 killed ; and the nest of some other bird, we knew not what, of a 

 most enormous size ; it was built with sticks upon the ground, and 

 was no less than six and twenty feet in circumference and two 

 feet eight inches high." — " To this spot we gave the name of 

 Eagle Island," &c.* 



Similar nests were found by Capt. Flinders in King George's 

 Bay, on the southeast coast of New Holland, in about 35° south 



received from the missionaries. They have enabled him to establish five distinct 

 species; the largest of which, ten feet high, be calls Dinornis giganteus. The 

 Bmallest was four feel high, called the D. didiformis. " These data," says the ab- 

 stract, "showed that the trifid foot-print of the D. giganteus must have exceeded 

 in size the Ornitldchnites giganteus and 0. ingens of Prof. Hitchcock, and that the 

 Dinornis didiformis must have left impressions as large as those called Ornithic fmites 

 tuberosus. The author warned his hearers against inferring identity of species, or 

 even genus, between the extinct Struthionida. of the alluvium of New Zealand, and 

 those of the Trias of North America, on account of correspondence of size and 

 number of toes, which the modern genera Casuarius, Rhea, &c. proved to be in- 

 sufficient grounds." It seems then, that Mr. Owen regards the footmarks of this 

 country as clearly referrible to the family Struthionidse ; and this probably is as 

 specific an account of the authors of the footmarks as will ever be attained. Who 

 could have imagined that light, on such a subject, could have come from New Zea- 

 land ; and that too, as a fruit of missionary labor ! Truly there is a web of har- 

 mony uniting all the parts of this world's history. 



* Cook's first voyage in Kerr's Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. xiii, 

 p. 318. 



