﻿124 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



frequent occurrence of bones on the surface tlirougliout the lower Clutha 

 valley, and the freshness of the remains in many other parts of the jorovince, 

 is quite compatible with a belief that the bird was alive at that time. In 

 favour of the hypothesis that the Moa became extinct some five hundred 

 years ago, Dr. Haast quotes the opinion of Colenso and others, who have been 

 unable to find that the Moa has a place in Maori traditions, which go back 

 for many centuries. The theory advanced by those authorities may be a 

 perfectly correct one as regards the North Island, but it can in no way be 

 advanced as an argument why the Moa did not exist in the interior of this 

 province a century ago, or in any other part of the island concerning which 

 the Maoris have no traditions. There can be no doubt that Otago presents a 

 splendid field for palseontological I'esearch in this direction, and it is from a 

 careful examination of the caves and cooking places of the intei-ior that we 

 may ultimately hope to have the approximate date of the extinction of the 

 Moa determined. It is from these sources, also, that we may expect to learn 

 something definite about the people who assisted to exterminate it. The recent 

 discoveries of Dr. Thomson and Mr. Arthur in the caves near Clyde, if 

 followed up, may tend to throw considerable light upon the question which 

 has been raised ; and it is to be hoped that an efibrt will be made to expedite 

 investigations in that quarter. Whatever the results of future inquiries may 

 be, I am strongly of opinion that each fresh discovery will tend to show that 

 the theory of palseolithic and neolithic periods in X ew Zealand is unsustainable ; 

 that the Dinornis lived in comparatively recent times, and was hunted by the 

 forefathers of the present aboriginals. 



Art. YIII. — On the Occurrence of Footprints of a Large Bird, found at 

 Turanganui, Poverty Bay. By Archdeacon W. L. Williams. 



(With Illustrations). 



[JReadhefore the Auckland Institute, 29th May, 1871.] 



The slabs, now in this Museum, showing the footprints of a very large bird, 

 were procured just below high-water mark, on the right bank of the Taruheru 

 River at Turanganui, Poverty Bay, about 100 yards from its mouth, just at the 

 angle formed by it with the Waikanae creek. The exact position is denoted 

 in the accompanying sketch map. (PI. VITI.) 



My attention was first called to these footprints nearly five years ago by 

 David Millar, who at that time kept a ferry boat on the i-iver, and lived within 

 a short distance of the spot. The portion of rock on which the impressions 

 were visible at that time was about fourteen feet in length and about five feet 



