240 THE EXTINCT GIGANTIC BIRDS OF 



DINOENIS. 



Among the most interesting relics of these enormous inhabitants of 

 New Zealand, the Moa-stones may be ranked. I have figured six (Plate 

 CXIII. no 1), of the actual size, selected from a lot of fifty belonging to the 

 same bird (i. e. found in one heap) and kindly sent to me from New Zealand, 

 in the 'True Briton' ship, direct, by Dr. Haast, received October 20, 1874. 

 Some of these are very pretty, and could be set into a pin. 



I have other Moa-stones of larger dimensions, but not belonofins: to 

 this lot, 



Plate CXIII. no. 2, represents similar stones taken out of a King 

 Penguin (Aptenochjtes pennanti) from the Falkland Islands, and brought to 

 Plymouth in 1867, being the second living bird ever seen in England. 



These stones were mixed with beaks of cuttlefish, and were presented 

 to me by Mr. F. Bond (cf. 'Land and Water,' October 25, 1873; also 

 'Zoologist,' December 1868, p. 1483, ahd February 1874, p. 3883). 



The transparent nature of the Moa-pebbles and the opaque* character 

 of the Penguin-stones are well given, and show the different localities in 

 which the two birds lived. 



* Curiously enough, as I write this article, I observe the follo-n-ing in 'The Field/ 

 March 9th, 1878 :— 



At the meeting of the Zoological Society on Tuesday, March 5, " Professor Newton drew 

 attention to the statement of Leguat that every Solitaii-e {Pezophaps solitaria) contained a large 

 single stone in its gizzard, and exhibited one of three stones found by Mr. Caldwell associated with 

 the remains of as many bu-ds of that species in the caves of Rodriguez. Each of these stones was 

 found under the breast-bone of the skeleton of this extinct animal. The largest specimen was 

 about 2| inches in length by 2 inches in breadth. All were alike composed of basaltic lava, which 

 does not occm- in the immediate neighbourhood of the caves in which the remains of the Solitaire 

 are found." 



The fact that the stone was single is worthy of remark, and means something. 



