64 Transactions.—Miscellaneous. 
terya ingens, for the smaller and more slender species of Dinornis casuarinus 
and didiformis, as well as for the stout-set Dinornis elephantopus and crassus ; 
which, moreover, were doubtless distinguished by different habits and 
modes of life. Instead of that, we find them speaking of the Moa indiseri- 
minately, a word extensively used all over the Polynesian Islands.” 
In the third of the papers above referred to, Dr. Haast criticises the 
views of Dr. Hector, Mr. Murison, and Mr. Mantell upon the subject under 
discussion, and, notwithstanding some very cogent evidence to the contrary, 
adduced by those gentlemen and others, sums up the discussion by stating 
the ‘‘ conclusions ” already extracted. 
I think it necessary, however, before proceeding further, to call especial 
attention to the entire absence from these papers of any evidence relevant 
to the proof of the first, fourth, and fifth “‘ conclusions.”’ The first of these Dr. 
Haast probably adopted in order to support his theory that New Zealand 
was entirely submerged up to the close of the Tertiary period, and, on its 
re-emergence, was subjected, during Pleistocene times, to an universal | 
’ glaciation similar to that of Greenland and the Antarctic lands. 
But whence he derives the Dinornide and his wild dog is nowhere even 
suggested, unless, indeed, the language in which the first ‘‘ conclusion ”’ is 
couched admits of the assumption that he believes in special creation ; 
whilst the fourth and fifth involve additional difficulties which are too 
palpable to need specifying. It would be well if Dr. Haast would supple- 
ment his papers on this part of the subject, by giving the evidence or 
reasoning, as the case may be, which led him to the lusi in question. 
Dr. Haast’s statements as to the absence of any Maori traditions relative 
to the Moa, were in some degree supported by the Rev. Mr. Stack in a 
paper read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, on the 5th of 
April, 1871,* in which the reverend gentleman, after referring to the 
invasion of the Middle Island by the Ngaitahu, a section of the Ngatika- 
hungunu tribe, some 200 to 250 years ago, says— 
‘“‘Ngaitahu, having incorporated the remnants of the two preceding 
tribes, the traditions of these tribes would become the property of Ngaitahu, 
and be handed down with the rest of their tribal lore to posterity. Now, 
while these traditions are full and distinct in everything else to which they 
relate, and extend as far back as to events that occurred before the 
migration from Hawaiki, they only contain very vague and meagre references to 
the Moa. It is inconceivable that an observant and intelligent people like 
the Maoris should be without traditions of such exciting sport as Moa- 
* “Trans. N, Z. Inst.,” Vol. IV., p. 107, 
