4A0 Geology of 



1831 and 1S37, in which a gigantic bird, said to exist, is first mentioned. 

 When speaking of the Kiwi, or as he calls it the Kiwi-Kiwi, the 

 following two passages occur : — " That a species of the Emu, or a bird 

 of the genus StrutMo, formerly existed in the latter (northern) island, 

 I feel well assured, as several large fossil ossifications were shewn to 

 me. when I was residing in the vicinity of the East Cape, said to have 

 been found at the base of the inland mountain of Ikorangi. The 

 natives added that, in times long past, they received the tradition, that 

 very large birds had existed, but the scarcity of animal food, as well as 

 the easy method of entrapping them, had caused their extermination." 

 —Vol. I, page 303. 



"I feel assured, from the many reports I received from the natives, 

 that a species of Strutltio still exists on that interesting island (the 

 South island), in parts which, perhaps, have never yet been trodden by 

 man. Traditions are current among the elder natives, of Atuas, 

 covered with hair, in the form of birds, having waylaid former native 

 travellers among the forest wilds, vanquishing them with an over- 

 powering strength, killing and devouring, &e. These traditions .are 

 repeated with an air of belief that carries conviction to the younger 

 natives, who take great delight in the marvellous and improbable." — 

 Ibid., page 307-S. 



It will be observed, that also here the word Moa does not occur, and 

 that the traditions quoted are more or less of a fabulous character. 

 About the same time several missionaries, the Keverends William 

 Colenso E.L.S., "Williams, Taylor, and some others, began to collect 

 Moa-bones in the Xorth Island, mostly washed out from the banks of 

 rivers, but, according to the Eev. W. Colenso, a close observer, 

 never thought by the Maoris of that time (between 1S36 and 1810) to 

 be those of a bird.* 



Gradually, the so called Maori traditions have been growing from the 

 few fabulous legends — such as for instance, that of a huge bird with the 

 face of a man, that it lived on air, and had wattles (according to the Eev. 

 W. Colenso) — to those more or less circumstantial accounts of which the 

 latter volumes of the Xew Zealand Institute contain so many versions. 

 An eminent student of Maori lore who for the present does not 



* " Believe me no Maori of thirty or thirty five years ago ever once supposed the Moa-bones to be 

 those of a bird, they always obstinately denied it. That they have since done so is entirely owing to 

 the Pakehas (letter to me dated Xapier, July 13th, 1871.)" 



