80 Transactions. — Miscellandous. 



Fig. 3. Tarsus of 3Ioa, nearly perfect, length 10 inches. 

 p, p, girth, 9 inches. 

 r, r, girth, 4 inches, 

 s, s, girth, 8 inches. 



Plate V. 

 Fig. 1. Upper sm-face of fragment of pelvis and dorsal vertebra of Moa; deeply indented 

 with muscular impressions. 

 a — h, measures 9^ inches. 



c, canal of medulla spinalis. 



d, outer edge of acetabulum. 



Obs. — This bone differs very considerably from such bones in other birds, in its 

 peculiar carinated shape in that portion which must have formed the lower 

 part of the back. It must have been also considerably larger when entire, as 

 the whole of the upper ridge is much broken. 



Fig. 2. Under surface of Figure 1. 



a, a, a perfect part of the bone, where, in the narrowest place, it measures 3 inches 

 half-way across. 



b, outer edge of acetabulum. 



c, canal of medulla spinalis. 



Paut II. — What I hace gleaned since. 

 § 1. Positive (if such it may be called) ! 

 I. Myths, or Legends. 

 1. The Myth of Ngahue. 

 In all the legends and myths of the Maoris that I have heard recited, and 

 taken down, and received from them in writing (including, also, those pub- 

 lished by Su' G. Grey*), I have only once met with any mention of the Moa ; 

 and this is in the very ancient Mythe of Ngahue ;t who, it is said, visited 

 New Zealand before the so-called migration hither from " Hawaiki :" there- 

 fore it is that I place this legend first in order. In this legend, which is a 

 particularly interesting one, the Moa is mentioned twice ; but then only in 

 the most casual way- — provokingly so ! I shall just give here the tivo short 

 sentences from that original Maori tale ; as I intend translating the whole 

 of this brief legend with explanatory notes shortly. . Strangely enough, the 

 translation of this tale given by Sir G. Grey (supra) omits one of those two 

 sentences which mention the Moa, or I would willingly quote from his 

 published translation. 



Of Ngahue it is said, — that he arrived in New Zealand and visited both 

 Islands , and on his returning from the South, Arahura (= Westland), and 

 on his way to the East Coast, Whangaparaoa (= Cape Eunaway), " he 



* " Polynesian Mythology," 1855. 

 t Called in the Polynesian Mythology (p. 132), " The Legend of Poutmi and Whaiapu." 



