- 



IjAKKK, 'Ilir Szcallotcinu of Stones hv .hiimals 



rVict. Nat 

 L Vul. T!t 



with these bones, and in the vicinity of the stomach, was a compact mass 

 of flat pebbles which had been ground and polished.* 



The extinct Moa of Xew Zealand probably supplies the greatest evidence 

 of stone-swallowing by strutbious birds. Kxcavatioiis of their skeletons has 

 proved the enormous numbers of these birds that bad existed, and the stones 

 (commonly called Moa Stones) found associated with their skeletons or in 

 heaps apart from them, showed that they had some definite attraction for 

 these pebbles, more often than not selecting them with regard to colour. 



Of his visit to the Mackenzie Country in the South Island of Xew Zealand, 

 F. Chapman (1884). described three distinct groups of white pebbles ot 

 unmistakable appearance. Mostly they were associated with bones, but 

 frequently they were found in heaps without bones; an observation expressed 

 by other writers as well. Individual heaps of stones collected, which arc- 

 considered to have belonged to distinct birds, are given as 3 lb. 9 oz., 4 lb.. 



Fig. 4 — An average collection of gizzard stones of greywackc from a 

 Dinornis ( Moa). 



and 5 lb. 7 oz. Included in the last weight were single stones of over 10 oz.. 

 and in another series of collections from Lake Manapouri, were sets 

 containing 210 stones weighing only 8 oz., 389 stones weighing 4 lb. 7 oz., 

 and 342 stones weighing 4 lb. 10 oz., nearly all of which were pure white. 



In a further description of excavations of Moa remains near Oamaru, 

 H. O. Forbes (1892) states, "In some instances, beneath the sternum were 

 found, lying quite undisturbed, the contents of the stomach, consisting of 

 more or less triturated grass mingled with crop stones The quantity of 

 these smoothed, rounded (chiefly white quartz) pebbles — in size from that of 

 a bean to that of a plum — mingled with the bones was enormous, and would 

 if collected have formed more than a cart load. Fxcept where the hones 

 were, there were no pebbles of any sort, no small stones nor even sand, 

 anvwbere around." 



