i04 Transactions. — Miscellaneous i 



Art. VIII. — A few Remarks on the Carved Stone Bird, named Korotawji by 

 the Maoris, now in the possession of Major Wilson. By Prof. Julius von 

 Haast, Ph.D., F.E.S. 



[Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 13i7i October, 1881.] 

 Through the kind ofSces of Dr. Buller, F.E.S. , Major Wilson has sent to 

 the Canterbury Museum a remarkable carving in stone, which he obtained 

 from a native tribe in the North Island, by whom it was much prized ; in 

 order that I might have a careful cast prepared from it. Having done so, 

 and before returning it, I have thought that it might not be without interest 

 to the Philosophical Institute to have it exhibited at to night's meeting, and 

 to allow me at the same time to make a few observations on its character. 



It is carved out of a very dark green serpentine, according to a calcula- 

 tion made by Mr. Gr. Grray, of a specific gravity of 2-531, at 60° F., which is 

 about the mean of a series of this mineral, of which the specific gravity has 

 been ascertained by other mineralogists. 



The bird, carved in a bold and careful way, and in a natural position, 

 seems to represent, at a first glance, a species of Prion, the beak being so very 

 much depressed, but, on closer examination, it will be seen that it does not 

 possess the u.nited nasal tubes placed on the top of the bill, but has the 

 nostrils lateral, near the base of the beak, as in the ducks, but it is very 

 possible that it might be only a conventional form. 



It is not my intention to anticipate, in any way, the forthcoming paper 

 of Major Wilson, who is going to give us in our " Transactions" a doubt- 

 less very interesting account of the history of this remarkable specimen of 

 eastern art, said to have been brought over to New Zealand in one of the 

 original canoes from Hawaiki, but simply to show it to you, and to note its 

 mineralogical character by which it might perhaps be traced to the locality 

 where it was manufactured. 



I exhibit, at the same time, from the museum, an ancient Japanese 

 bronze, without doubt a vessel for burning incense, representing also a bird, 

 the character of which is, in many respects, not unlike the specimen carved 

 from stone. 



In both, the feathers on the back are rounded, with a central line, from 

 which smaller lines slope down on both sides, while the wing-feathers are 

 more pointed, and have a similar ornamentation. 



To my mind there is no doubt that both have a somewhat similar origin, 

 and come either from the same eastern country, or, if from two different 

 countries, that the latter are nearly related to each other, and where, for 

 many centuries, if not thousands of years, industrial art has been practised. 



