1862.] A Memoir on tlie living Asiatic Species of Rhinoceros. 167 



are not four-limbed). Among the Quadrumana, the grandest of all — 

 the huge Gorilla — has been re-discovered ; for its reputed existence 

 was regarded as fabulous by Baron Cuvier. Lastly, in the bird 

 class, it is most remarkable that the number of Irevipennate species 

 has quite recently been more than quadrupled* : — still, however, no 

 remarkable new genus, excepting the New Zealand Moa ; and of this 

 at least two species have just been discovered to maintain a lingering 

 existence, as I have learned from a letter recently received from Mr. 

 E. L. Layard, who is at present in New Zealand as Private Secretary 

 to Governor Sir G. Grey. One of these, of comparatively small size 

 (about 3 J ft. high), has actually been killed and eaten by a famish- 

 ing party of explorers and fifteen others seen. Of the other, one of 

 the large Moas, only the fresh foot-steps (15 in. long) have been 

 traced, as Mr. Layard states by a party who had lost themselves ; 

 and therefore the instance does not appear to be the same as that lately 

 recorded in the Zoologist (p. 7847). Both of these living species 



inhabit the little explored Middle Island.f 



March 1st, 1862. 



* Vide J. A. S. XXX, note to p. 92. Even a sixth Cassowary has since been 

 added by the Baron von Rosenberg of Amboyna. It is from the island of Sala- 

 watti; and has no loaltles, as in all the others. He terms it Castxakius Katjpi, 

 Vide Ibis, July, 1861, p. 312. The Baljeniceps hex must be considered as a 

 remarkable discovery among large birds ; and this is quite a new genus. 



f The notice in the Zoologist is copied from the Nelson Examiner of July 

 12th, 1861. It is as follows : — " About three weeks ago, while Mr. Brunner, 

 Chief Surveyor of the province, and Mr. Maling, of the Survey Department, 

 accompanied by a native, were engaged in surveying on the ranges between the 

 Rewaki and Takara rivers, they observed one morning, on going to their work, 

 the foot-prints of a large bird, whose tracks they followed for a short distance, 

 but lost them at length among rocks and shrub. The size of the foot-prints, 

 which were well defined wherever the ground was soft, was fourteen inches in 

 length, with a spread of eleven inches at the points of the three toes. The foot- 

 prints were about thirty inches apart. On examining the bones of a foot of a 

 Moa in the museum, we find the toe to measure, without integuments, 

 eight inches and a half, and "those evidently form part of a skeleton of a 

 very large bird : the length of the impression of the toe of the bird in ques- 

 tion was ten inches. The native who was in company with Messrs*. Brunner 

 and Maling was utterly at a loss to conjecture what bird could have made 

 such a foot -print, a3 he had never seen anything of the kind before. On a 

 subsequent morning similar marks were again seen, and, as a proof that they 

 had been made during the night, it was observed that some of them covered 

 the foot-prints of those which the party made the preceding evening. The size of 

 these foot-prints, and the great stride of the supposed bird, has led to a belief 

 that a solitary Moa [why one only ?] may yet be in existence. The district is 

 full of limestone caves of the same character as those in which such a quantity 

 of Moa bones were found, about two years ago, in the neighbouring district of 

 Asrere. We believe that it is the intention of the Government to take steps to 

 ascertain the character of this gigantic bird, whether Moa or not, which keeps 

 watch in these solitudes." 



