﻿104 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



the first Europeans arrived, should have had not the least idea of the existence 

 of those birds, except perhaps a few fabulous legends common more or less to 

 all the Polynesian Islands '? 



Dr. Hector, at the conclusion of his very interesting and instructive paper, 

 cites, amongst others, the testimony of the Hon. W. Mantell in support of 

 his view, namely, that the Moa survived to very recent times; but in my opinion 

 the views of that gentleman do not altogether coincide with those of Dr. 

 Hector. 



In my second paper I quoted from a lecture of Mr. Mantell's, and showed 

 that he had somewhat modified his former views. Since then, at a meeting of 

 the Philosophical Society of Wellington, as I see from the " Wellington Inde- 

 pendent," of 3rd July, 1871, when speaking of the occurrence of moa eggs in 

 the Northern Island, Mr. Mantell is reported to have expressed himself as 

 follows : — " Mr. Mantell explained that he had discovered these eggs in what 

 were called Maori ovens, or, as he preferred to call them, pre-historic man ovens, 

 etc., etc." Mr. Mantell thus offers additional confirmation to the correctness 

 of my deductions, and I was truly glad to see that this gentleman was willing 

 to modify his former views, in accordance with those advocated by me, as soon 

 as he became convinced of their correctness. 



The next paper to which I wish fco refer is entitled " Notes on Moa Remains," 

 by Mr. W. D. Murison, and was read before the Otago Institute. This con- 

 tribution to the questions at issue is particularly valuable, as Mr. Murison 

 offers principally the results of his own researches. His examination of the 

 ovens in the Maniototo plains shows convincingly that in all their principal 

 features they are identical with those of the Little Rakaia, with the exception 

 that they contain numerous pieces of egg-shells, of which not a single specimen 

 was obtained in the latter locality. 



Mr. Murison lays great stress upon the fact that from the same place several 

 fragments of polished stone implements were taken . out, but as we have not 

 that gentleman's testimony that they were found by himself in a kitchen-midden 

 or oven of the moa-hunters, I cannot attach much weight to it. Although 

 that gentleman thinks that it is unlikely the natives ever visited the Puke- 

 toi-toi creek, on the banks of which the moa ovens are situated, with any 

 other object than that of moa-hunting, I wish to point oi;t that that small and 

 insignificant creek has a Maori name, and that when the country was covered 

 with vegetation, the volume of water was probably much larger than at 

 present, when the whole district has been dried up by the systematic burning 

 of the vegetable growth by the sheep farmer. 



Unfortunately, I am not acquainted with the topography of that district, 

 but I am certain that the occurrence of the numerous moa ovens on the banks 

 of that creek proves it being a favourable localit}"- for camping. I also wish to 



