86 Transactions.—Miscellaneous. 
full use at the time of the bird’s death, and not ready for ejection ; it has 
been observed, for instance, that the Ostrich and Emu eject stones similar 
to those in the Museum from time to time in order to swallow others less 
rounded. 
At every place where we found Moa bones, there also we found “ crop- 
stones,” which, on some spots, guided us to the discovery of Moa bones. 
_ Obsidian chips or flakes were numerous, and occurred mostly on the 
surface of the old bed of hard sine brown sand. I carefully collected all I could 
find; at one place I found the “core ” of obsidian, from which the flakes 
were chipped; the splinters and fragments around marking the site of the 
manufactory of their knives. At two other spots the fragments and 
splinters of obsidian would indicate similar workshops, but I failed to find 
the “cores.” Some of these knives are blunted, and show signs of use, 
but when first chipped off would present a keen cutting edge. 
Dana informs us that in Mexico this volcanic glass was formerly used 
both for mirrors, knives, and razors. Plate III., figures No. 7, to 15, 
represent some of the most characteristic shapes found. 
Egg-shell of the Moa occurred at three spots along this ridge, but the 
closest scrutiny only revealed about five ounces of small pieces belonging to 
various eggs. The fragments, however, are too small to attempt the re- 
formation of a complete shell with any prospect of success; still the 
largest piece, about three inches long, is of sufficient size to measure the 
curve and allow the calculation of the diameter of an egg, which would 
give a diameter of 8°625 inches. 
At the southern end of Pataua Beach, where the Pataua Hill breaks 
the force of the south-east gales, vegetation is still growing on the sand 
dunes close to the sea; but further north the drifting sand has cut the 
vegetation off and rendered the land barren 400 yards wide to the edge of 
raupo and flax swamps ; the only plant growing amongst the sand is the 
Pingao (Desmochenus ), 
When I first visited this spot, in 1867, these sand dunes were covered on 
the swamp side with Manuka, Fern, Wi-wi, littoral plants, and several 
clumps of small trees, growing close to the sea beach. The dead limbs of 
those small trees are still to be seen heaped up with sand ; the littoral 
plants have gone, the sandy bed in which they grew has been blown in 
shore, covering up the Fern, Manuka, and Wi-wi. 
These sand dunes, between the swamp and sea, owe their origin primarily 
to blown sand, so that I am of opinion that the Pingao ( Desmochenus) 
periodically heaps up the sand at the beach for a sufficient length of time to 
permit the plants at the back to grow; then a time arrives when the sand 
Commences to drift in shore, to add another layer to the sand dunes near 
