74 Transactions.— Miscellaneous. 
destroyed and disappeared, as have several other wingless birds from 
different parts of New Zealand.” 
Mr. Mantell, in a paper read before the Wellington Philosophical 
Institute, in November, 1872,* says— 
‘‘The only other important discovery which I shall have to notice, is 
the old kaianga at the stream now known as Awamoa, a name given by me 
instead of its original name of Te Awakokomuka, to prevent confusion with 
other streams of the latter name in the district. This kaianga, which we 
found in 1852, afforded further unmistakeable proof of the co-existence of 
man with the Moa. The bones and egg-shells of Dinornis and its kindred, 
mixed with remains of every available variety of bird, beast, and fish used 
as food by the aborigines, being all in and around the wmus (or native 
ovens) in which they had been cooked. Although my collection from this 
place reached England in 1853, it remained unopened until after my 
arrival there in 1856, when I caused it to be conveyed to.the crypts of the 
British Museum, and there unpacked it in the presence of the great 
authority on our gigantic birds, Professor Owen. With the exception of 
two small collections which were selected for me by Professor Owen, and 
which I gave, one to the Museum of Yale College, U.S., and the other to 
that of the Jardin des Plantes, the whole of this collection is now in the 
British Museum. The fragments of egg-shells from these wmus varied in 
size from less than a quarter of an inch of greatest diameter to three or 
four inches. These, after careful washing, I had sorted, and having, with 
some patience, found the fragments which had originally been broken from 
each other, and fitted them together, I succeeded in restoring at least a 
dozen eggs to an extent sufficient to shew their size and outline. Six or 
seven of the best of these I gave to the British Museum after their purchase 
of the collection ; one is in the Museum of the College of Surgeons ; the 
rest, including one very beautiful egg, with a polished ivory-like surface, 
are still in my ownership somewhere in England. Some idea of the labour 
entailed by this attempt to rehabilitate eggs may be gathered from the fact 
that several of those restored consisted of between 200 and 300 fragments. 
IT may add that in the markings, size, and so forth, of the eggs (making 
allowance for the alteration of the former toward the ends of the eggs) I 
made out about 24 varieties, of which I have specimens.” 
The Rey. R. Taylor, in a paper read before the Wellington Philosophical 
Institute, also in November, 1872,+ says— 
‘‘ Karly in 1843 I removed from the Bay of Islands to Wanganui, and 
* “Trans. N. Z. Inst.,” Vol. V., p. 94, 
t * Trans. N. Z. Inst.,” Vol. V., p. 97. 
