m 



CoLENSo. — On the Moa. 69 



race, particularly to those of the larger kinds. One of the bones, a tibia* 

 measured two feet ten inches in length, and was proportionably thick. Two 

 others measured, each, two feet six inches in length. Another, a section of 

 a femur, measured eight inches in circumference in the smallest part. On 

 putting together the bones of the leg and thigh (although none of them 

 exactly fitted), and making the necessary allowance for the portions deficient 

 of the processes of the joints, the intermediate cartilages, and lower tendons 

 and integuments of the foot, we obtain, at least, six feet of the lower 

 extremities of a bird ; which, supposing its upper parts to accord in size 

 with the lower ones, must have measured in altitude when alive, at the 

 lowest rate of calculation, from fourteen to sixteen feet— an enormous 

 feathered monster, well worthy, from its gigantic size, of being classed with 

 the Megalosaurus of Buckland and the Mastodon of Cuvier. 



It so happened that about this time a mechanic, who had been living 

 at Cloudy Bay, in the Middle Island, came to reside at Poverty Bay. He 

 stated that this bird now existed in the high hills near Cloudy Bay ; and 

 that two Americans, residents at that place, hearing fi-om a native that 

 such a bird lived on the mountainous and snowy heights, provided them- 

 selves with arms, and, thus equipped, went in high expectation of shooting 

 one, taking the native with them as their guide. They ascended the moun- 

 tain to the place where these bu-ds resort, where, at the native's request, they 

 hid themselves behind some bushes. Presently they saw the monster majes- 

 tically stalking down in search of food ; they were, however, so petrified 

 with horror at the sight as to be utterly unable to fire on him. Had 

 they commenced the combat, it is, I think, highly doubtful how it might 

 have terminated. I think it very probable that they would have found 

 themselves in a much worse situation than the Trojan chief and his followers 

 did in their celebrated conflict with the harpies ; so energetically and 

 deploringiy described by the poet in these lines : — 

 "Ergo, ubi delapss sonitum per curva cledere 



Littora ; dat signum specula Misenus ab alta 



^re cavo : invadunt socii, et novaprfelia tentant, 



Obscoenas pelagi ferro fsedare volucres. 



Sed neque vim plumis uUam, nee vulnera tergo 



Accipiunt."f — ^N. lib. iii., 238. 



* This has been sent by Mr. Williams, with several others, to Professor Buckland. 

 f For the beneiit of the English reader, I give Dryden's translation of the passage 

 from the celebrated Latin poet : — 



" Then when along the crooked shore we hear 

 Their clatt'ring wings, and saw the foes appear, 

 Misenus sounds a charge : we take th' alarm, 

 And our strong hands with swords and bucklers arm. 

 In this new kind of combat, all employ 

 Their utmost force the monsters to destroy. — 

 In vain :— the fated skin is proof to wounds ; 

 And from their plumes the shining^sword rebounds."— Book iii., 311. 



