548 Proceedings. 



come to explain tliis thing, and tliey must have more patience before they 

 could generalize upon the subject. 



Mr. Heale, of Auckland, said the observation that there were no Maori 

 traditions of the moa was most amusinjx to him. If the moa had been scarce 

 they would have been mentioned in the traditions of the Maoris. He said 

 that if we were to pass away there would be nothing mentioned in our 

 history about sheep, and he argued that moas stood in nearly the same relation 

 to the Maori. The Maoris' reference to the moas in their songs and conversa- 

 tion was, to his idea, a stronger illustration than if the moas had been 

 mentioned in their traditions. 



The chairman remarked that Colenso was another authority he forgot to 

 mention. It seemed to be very clear that the moas were more plentiful here 

 than in the North Island. Their bones were very numerous on the 

 Tokomairiro and other plains some time ago. 



Captain Hutton said that Sir George Grey had informed him that there 

 was only one place to the north of Auckland where moa bones had been found — 

 that was the mainland just opposite the island of Kawau. 



Mr. P. Thomson had some experience in collecting moa bones in a cave at 

 Saddle Hill, and it was yet full. The settlers, however, had taken most of 

 the large bones away. He agreed with Mr. Booth's theory with regard to the 

 springs. 



4. The President read the following letter, from Mr. W. H. S. Roberts, 

 with regard to the Moa : — 



" I came to Otago, overland from Nelson, in May, 1856, and, notwith- 

 standing my making a point of enquiring, both of Maoris and whites, could 

 hear of no one who had ever seen a Moa. The Maoris could describe 

 them very well, but it was from hearsay. They stated that they formerly 

 used the Moa as food, and used to catch them by placing flax running nooses 

 across their tracks — for they used to have regular beaten paths, like sheep tracks. 

 Several Maoris told me that they were purj^osely destroyed because they used 

 to steal their children. A day was fixed upon, and fires were lighted in every 

 available spot throughout the island — from north to south, and from east to 

 west. The Moa having no wings could not escape through the long grass, and 

 were consequently destroyed. It was at that time also that so many thousands 

 of acres of the native forests were destroyed, the charred remains of which are 

 frequently found by new settlers in places now quite devoid of growing trees. 



"The Moa was a very swift bird on foot, and could outrun a horse easily, 

 its miniature wings assisting it considerably. I was frequently shown bones 

 in very good state of ])rescrvation, the length and size of them being to mo 

 matter of astonishment. At Moeraki I was informed that Mr. Mantell had 

 procured some of the feathers, and some bones with the sinews or flesh still 



