Haast. — Researches in Sumner Moa Cave. 77 



my command j however, sufficient ground was examined to show that the 

 smaller species, Meionomis didiformis and Euryapteryx rheides were obtained 

 most frequently, whilst Euryapterix gravis was also well represented. 



Of Meionomis casuarinus, which was the most numerous species at the 

 Rakaia encampment, only a few bones were observed both in the cave and on 

 the sand hills, which suggests that in the hunting grounds, where the older 

 occupants of that locality obtained their food, this species, so very plentiful 

 near the Rakaia, must have been of rare occurrence. 



Portions of the shells of several Moa-eggs were also collected, of which the 

 greater part of one was lying on the surface close to the Sumner road. 



The seal bones found so numerously in the older kitchen middens belong 

 to several species, of which the larger fur seal is best represented, the small fur 

 seal not being so frequent. 



As will be gathered from the accompanying list, I obtained numerous stone 

 implements, of which three adzes in good preservation were polished, and frag- 

 ments of eleven others, together with nine pieces of gritty sandstone, used for 

 sharpening or polishing. Of the former, one of the specimens w r as found im- 

 mediately above the stones having formed one of the ovens, the others being 

 scattered amongst the kitchen middens, and as this occurrence is a confirma- 

 tion of the observations made in the cave, there is no doubt that the Moa- 

 hunters used both polished and unpolished stone implements. 



A number of small pieces of obsidian w T ere also found, of which some were 

 probably used as spear heads. Most of the rude chipped stone implements, 

 like those collected in the cave, had been made from the basaltic rock in the 

 neighbourhood, most of them were simply flakes without any decided form, but 

 amongst them I observed a few manufactured for spear heads ; others had 

 evidently been chipped to be used as knives or scrapers, the rest being cores 



only. 



Flint implements, so well represented at the Rakaia, were also not missing, 

 but with the exception of about a dozen, which were either used as spear heads 

 or knives, the rest were flakes or cores. 



Of the remarkable green siliceous deposit (Palla) found in the Gawler s 

 Downs, two small flakes were also amongst the specimens here collected. Two 

 pieces of Moa-bones, partly worked, were secured, having doubtless been in 

 preparation for the manufacture of fish-hooks, with them two ornaments made 

 of the humerus of an albatross were found, neatly cut off to a length of about 

 1 inch, and resembling the heitikis used by the Maoris, in which the feathers 



and 



As 



already stated, we picked up also some tympanic bones of whales amongst the 



purpose 



