414 Proceedings. 



Sfcruthious bird, and that they had no doubt, on finding these huge bones, com- 

 pared them with those of the existing kiwi, and thus arrived at a correct con- 

 clusion respecting the nature of the original owners, and even determined the 

 kind of feathers with which the bird was clothed. Such an exercise by the 

 untutored savage of scientific skill, that among civilized nations is only acquired 

 by great compa.rative anatomists, is to my mind less'easy to understand than that 

 the Maoris had at one time been familiar with the Moa in the district where the 

 inquiries were made. So far as the subject can be enlightened by a study of 

 the language and traditions of the natives, I am sure there can be no higher 

 authority than Mr. Colenso, whose high scientific reputation was established 

 at an early date in the colony by his many contributions to the natural history 

 of the country ; and T sincerely trust that he will yet find leisure from the great 

 philological work on which he is now engaged to go fully into this matter ; but 

 there is also the evidence of his own observations to be taken into account, 

 relative to which I will read to you the account of his earliest acquaintance 

 with the Moa, as it was communicated by him to the " Tasmanian Journal," 

 in 1842 :— 



He states that during the summer of 1838 he accompanied the E,ev. W. 

 Williams on a visit to the tribes inhabiting the East Cape district. Whilst 

 at Waiapu, a thickly inhabited locality about 20 miles south-west from the 

 East Cape, lie heard from the natives of a certain monstrous animal, which, 

 while some said it was a bird and others a " person," all agreed that it was 

 called a Moa, that in general appearance it resembled an immense domestic 

 cock, with the difference, however, of its possessing a face like a man f that 

 it dwelt in a cavern in the precipitous side of a mountain ; that it lived on air, 

 and was attended or guarded by two immense tuataras, who, Argus like, kept 

 incessant watch while the Moa slept ; and that if any one possessing temerity 

 sufficient dared to approach the dwelling of this wonderful creature he would 

 be infallibly killed by it — the process suggested being trampling to death — 

 indicating, I venture to think, that they knew the habits of the bird, which 

 were no doubt like those of the emu in its mode of attack. He further states 

 that the belief in the Moa was universal, and to doubt it was a crime. 

 Natives had, however, seen and described large bones, which they ascribed to 

 the Moa, and all the natives had great fear of the bird, and belief in its pro- 

 digious physical power. On returning to the Bay of Islands, natives from the 

 East Cape district confirmed the foregoing information. 



In 1839 the Hev. Mr. Taylor,t being at the East Cape and hearing of the 

 Moa, searched, and was rewarded by finding a gigantic toe of the bird. In 

 1841-42, while at Waiapu, he heard that Wakapunake had been visited by 



* Mr. Mantell suggests that the phrase would be " Ahua tangata," which might be 

 rendered " stature of a man. " ^ Vide ante, p. 97. 



