﻿Canterbury Philoso2)hical Institute. 403 



2. " ISTotes Respecting the Disco veiy of the Egg of the Moa in the 

 Kaikoura Peninsula/' by J. D. Enys. 



(abstract.) 



Having seen in the "Wellington Independent" of 8th July, 1871, that, at 

 a recent meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society, Dr. Hector stated 

 that the Moa egg found at the Kaikoura Peninsula, and bought by the trustees 

 of the British Museum from Mr. Fyfe, was foimd in alluvial soil wlien digging 

 a well, and not in connection with any human remains,* I have put on paper 

 the few notes which. I shall now read. Dr. Hector makes this statement on the 

 authority of Mr. Buchanan, who affirms that Mr. Fyfe had given him 

 information to that effect. As I was the person from whom Dr. Haast 

 obtained the information, as given in an appendix to his paper on Moas and 

 Moa-hunters, I beg to state that being on a visit to the Kaikouras at the latter 

 end of 1861 1 was shown by Mr. Fyfe the Moa egg, together with a human skull 

 and a black stone adze, which he kept in a box together, as having been found 

 together when digging the foundations for the store close to his house. Mr. 

 Fyfe observed at the same time that he had only preserved the skull of the 

 skeleton with which the egg was found, and that the Maoris had no traditions 

 whatever of a burial place in that locality, although one of their pahs is 

 situated about a mile from the spot. Concerning the rumour which was 

 published in the "Lyttelton Times," when the egg was sent home, that the 

 skeleton in question was found in a sitting posture, I have no recollection of 

 Mr. Fyfe's mentioning the subject to me. I had some trouble in pursuading 

 Mr. Fyfe to separate the egg from the heavy stone implement, as I feared that 

 the egg would be damaged by it. He would not separate the skull, as he did not 

 wish to disassociate the things which were found together. Since writing these 

 notes I have asked Mi\ John Innes, who was living at a station in the neigh- 

 bourhood at the time the egg was found, if he remembered the circumstances 

 under which it was discovered. He entirely confirms the correctness of the 

 account I have given, and adds that the egg was found, as far as he remembers, 

 in the early pai't of the year 1860, or end of 1859. 



Seventh Meeting. Qth September, 1871. 

 Rev. C. Fraser, Vice-President, in the chaii\ 



1. The Chairman read some remarks on the proposed revival of the 

 Colonists' Society, suggesting its incorporation with the Philosophical Institute. 



Dr. Powell exhibited a New Method of Sub-stage Illumination for the 

 Microscope, invented by Mr. John Matthews, of London. 



*See p. 363, ante. 



