CoLenso.—On the Moa. 89 
of their poetical effusions, altered from time to time to suit the present 
occasion.* 5 
I have carefully gone through more than 900 pieces of Maori poetry, 
including Sir G. Grey's published collection, some of them very long (and 
not a few of them written coarsely in a wretched hand) ; indeed, I may say 
I have laboriously studied them all in the course of many years, and these 
few lines which I have here brought before you are all that I have been able 
to discover in them relating to the Moa—just those five small scant and 
antiquated sentences! There are, however, a few others eontaining the 
bare word ** Moa," but those are merely references to names of persons, or 
poetical contractions of other common words having in them those three 
letters, and possessing little or no bearing on the subject before us. 
IV. Names or PLACES AND or Men or THE OLDEN TIME WHICH CONTAIN 
THE Word “Moa.” 
Of such I have obtained several; but—as I cannot, in a single instance, 
be sure of the word or term in question strictly belonging to the extinct 
animal or bird Moa—I shall defer the consideration of this part of my 
subject to the second (or negative) head of this enquiry. 
$ 2. Neeative. 
1. In all the many legends and myths of the Maori, some of which are 
of great antiquity—from before the time of their common genealogical period 
or beginning, commonly known as ** Hawaiki,” or * no Hawaiki "—there is 
no mention of, nor referenee to, the Moa, save that one solitary and brief 
intimation I have already quoted.| And yet there were plenty of opportu- 
nities in them of bringing the living Moa prominently forward, if that 
animal were then known, or, at all events, of some casual allusion to it, or 
to their manner of capturing and killing it. As, for instance (among many 
others), in their several fables of birds, in which the birds converse one 
with another, etc., as may be seen in the Fable of the Great Battle of the 
Land and Sea Birds;{ in that of the Hokioi (another large and extinct 
bird), and the Kaahu (hawk) ; in the myths of the slaying of those several 
Saurian monsters;$ ànd in the old legends of Maui, and of Hatupatu and 
his brothers, in which the various birds are made to play such an important 
part ;— those ancient stories are all silent concerning the Moa. So, again, 
where in them special mention is made of the food, particularly birds, to be 
found in plenty in certain regions; such as was said of the chief Takakopiri, 
in the legend of Kahureremoa—that ** he was a great chief, and had abun- 
dance of food of the best kinds on his estates ; plenty of potted birds of all 
kinds (pigeons, and tuis), and kiwis, and kiores, and wekas, and eels;" and 
(——..* Vide “Essay on the Maori Races :” Trans. N. Z. Inst, Vol. L, p. 47, Essay. 
| + Vide p. 80, Legend of Ngahue, 
1 See Trans. N. Z, Inst., Vol, XL, p. 101. § See Trans. N. Z. Inst., Vol. XI., p. 87, etc, 
