Haast. — Researches in Sumner Moa Cave. 6 9 



penetrated to these inner caves, probably to hide themselves from their 

 enemies, and cooked their meals, or at least lighted fires. 



As these two smaller caves for years past have been visited by Europeans, 

 a number of Moa bones have, as I understand, been carried away, having been 

 observed amongst the sands. 



Having reached the end of the main cave, a more tedious piece of work 

 was now before us, because before bein# able to reach the dirt and ai^loraeratc 

 beds in this northern portion of the cave, we were obliged to remove a 

 considerable mass of shell deposits, which, as we approached the entrance of 

 the cave, became gradually thicker till they reached a thickness of 8 feet. 



I have already before stated that the agglomerate bed was missing where 

 the supposed hut or enclosure had once been standing, and that the ash and 

 dirt bed continued without interruption to cover here the marine sands. 



Over this area I observed the dirt bed to possess a much greater thickness 

 than in other localities where the agglomerate was present, attaining generally 

 a thickness of 8 to 9 inches between the four piles, and thus showing that 

 by a more extended deposition of ashes and kitchen middens, the general 

 level of the floor of the cave had here been maintained. 



"VVe obtained here, mostly embedded in the marine sands and only partly 

 entering the dirt bed, the bones of the left leg belonging to a large specimen 

 of Euryapteryx gravis. The tibia and femur had been broken in the usual 

 manner for the extraction of the marrow, whilst the metatarsus was entire, 

 and very much calcined at its lower (distal) extremity. The fibula was found 

 to be also broken in several places, as would happen by fracturing the tibia, 

 with the former bone still attached. Some phalanges and a great number of 

 small pieces of the two broken leg-bones were lying also close by. 



As none of the bones were calcined, with the exception of the lower 

 portion of the metatarsus, it appears that this part, not possessing any flesh, 

 was not protected from the fire so carefully as the other portions had been. 



If this surmise be correct, we have here a case of broiling on a large scale 



before us. 



Advancing towards the entrance of the cave, we obtained occasionally in 

 the marine sands, agglomerate and dirt beds, rough stone implements, mostly 

 mere chips of dolerite, obtainable close to the cave, and with very few 

 exceptions, in no way to be compared with the artistically chipped flint 

 implements from the Kakaia encampment; but these shapeless implements 

 were now sometimes replaced by better formed tools. Some pieces of obsidian 

 were found with them, embedded in the agglomerate, having, in two instances, 

 the form of spear heads. 



~~ " 'eat number of Moa bones belonirin^ to so manv snecimens and 



