THornE.—On Moas and a Moa-Hunter Encampment. 98 
wary Moa-hunter would skilfully drive the probably sluggish, stupid bird 
down the mud flats and bed of the Pataua on to the narrow sand dunes 
between the impassable swamp and the sea as into the most cleverly con- 
trived trap. Here the real struggle would take place on which depended 
his only supply of animal food. 
The dry, silicious sandy nature of these dunes fits them peculiarly for 
the preservation of osseous remains, and these bones seem to be of very 
great antiquity, compared with similar ones from Canterbury. 
The variety of relics of this kind-north of Auckland is perhaps in part 
due to the early extinction of the bird by the natives of the district. 
It is interesting, also, to find this bird in these wooded parts of the 
country, for although there are a few acres of fern land to the east of 
Parua Bay, yet the Moa could not have lived here without entering the 
timbered country and feeding on roots which he would dig for with his 
powerful foot, or berries which would be within reach of his tall beak. 
However, the extensive flats and pipi banks, dry at low water, would furnish 
an abundant supply of food for the Moa, if he had a relish for molluscs or 
small fish, which is very probable, for Darwin (‘‘ Voyage of Beagle,” 2nd 
ed., p. 89) reports that “‘ South American Ostriches, although they live on 
vegetable matter, such as roots and grass, are repeatedly seen at Bahia 
Blanca, lat. 89° §., on the Coast of Buenos Ayres, coming down at low 
water to the extensive mud banks, which are then dry, for the sake of 
eating—as the Gauchos say, of feeding on small fish ; they readily take 
to the water, and have been seen at the Bay of San Blas, and at Port 
Valdez, in Patagonia, swimming from island to island.” So that the Moa 
might readily cross these rivers, or even Whangarei Harbour, to feed on the 
large flats which are there dry at low tide. 
I think that further and accurate observation will prove the habitat of 
the Moa to have been all over this North Western Peninsula. The sea 
beaches, such as I have described, are numerous all round the coast; those 
at Te Arai are very likely places, and the Limestone Caves at Waiapu and 
Whangarei are probably capable of telling some deeply interesting facts 
relative hereto. We only want more general interest awakened to bring 
these facts to our knowledge for the benefit of science. 
These huge, wingless birds of the past have disappeared, and given 
Place to other and perhaps more beautiful forms of life ; it is no use guess- 
ing how long ago these creatures flourished on the earth ; els certainly 
know that they lived in New Zealand down to very recent times, and we 
nightly judge that their disappearance in New Zealand was hastened and 
completed by the hand of hunters, who, to my mind, were, without doubt, 
the ancestors of the Maori. 
