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are found in the beds of the present streams, and do not appear to 

 have been brought into their present situation by the action of any 

 sudden rush of waters. 



" 3rd. They existed in considerable numbers. I have received per- 

 fect and imperfect bones of thirty different birds. 



" 4th. It may be inferred that this bird was long-lived, and that it 

 was many years before it attained its full size : out of a large number of 

 bones, only one leg-bone now sent is of the size of two feet ten inches ; 

 two others are two feet six inches, one of which I shall send hereafter. 

 The rest are all of inconsiderable size. 



" 5tb. The greatest height of the bird was probably not less than 

 fourteen or sixteen feet. The leg-bones now sent give the height of 

 six feet from the root of the tail. I am told that the name given by 

 the Malays to the Peacock is the same as that given by the natives to 

 this bird. 



" "Within the last few days I have obtained a piece of information 

 worthy of notice. Happening to speak to an American about the 

 bones, he told me that the bird is still in existence in the neighbour- 

 hood of Cloudy Bay, in Cook's Straits ; he said that the natives there 

 had mentioned to an Englishman of a whaling party that there was a 

 bird of extraordinary size to be seen only at night on the side of a hill 

 near there ; and that he, with the native and a second Englishman, 

 went to the spot ; that after waiting some time they saw the creature 

 at some little distance, which they describe as being fourteen or six- 

 teen feet high. One of the men proposed to go nearer and shoot, 

 but his companion was so exceedingly terrified, or perhaps both of 

 them, that they were satisfied with looking at him, when in a little 

 time he took the alarm and strode away up the side of the mountain. 

 This incident might not have been worth mentioning, had it not been 

 for the extraordinary agreement in point of size of the bird. Here 

 are the bones, which will satisfy you that such a bird has been, and 

 there is said to be the living bird, the supposed size of which, given by 

 an independent witness, precisely agrees. Should I obtain anything 

 more perfect you will not fail to hear from me, and in the meantime 



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