FAUNA OF THE POST-PLIOCENE. 361 



land has now been so far explored, that it seems questionable 

 if it can retain in its recesses any living example of Dinornis; 

 but it is certain that species of this genus were alive during the 

 human period, and survived up to quite a recent date. Not 

 only are the bones very numerous in certain localities, but 

 they are found in the most recent and superficial deposits, and 

 they still contain a considerable proportion of animal matter; 

 whilst in some instances bones have been found with the 

 feathers attached, or with the horny skin of the legs still ad- 

 hering to them. Charred bones have been found in connec- 

 tion with native "ovens;" and the traditions of the Maories 

 contain circumstantial accounts of gigantic wingless Birds, the 

 " Moas," which were hunted both for their flesh and their 

 plumage. Upon the whole, therefore, there can be no doubt 

 but that the Moas of New Zealand have been exterminated at 

 quite a recent period perhaps within the last century by the 

 unrelenting pursuit of Man, a pursuit which their wingless 

 condition rendered them unable to evade. 



In Madagascar, bones have been discovered of another huge 

 wingless Bird, which must have been as large as, or larger 

 than, the Dinornis giganieus, and which has been described 

 under the name of JEpiornis ina.viinns. With the bones have 

 been found eggs measuring from thirteen to fourteen inches in 

 diameter, and computed to have the capacity of three Ostrich 

 eggs. At least two other small species of ^Epiornis have been 

 described by Grandidier and Milne-Edwards as occurring in 

 Madagascar; and they consider the genus to be so closely allied 

 to the Dinornis of New Zealand, as to prove that these regions, 

 now so remote, were at one time united by land. Unlike New 

 Zealand, where there is the Apteryx, Madagascar is not known 

 to possess any living wingless Birds; but in the neighboring 

 island of Mauritius the wingless Dodo (Didus ineptus) has been 

 exterminated less than three hundred years ago; and the little 

 island of Rodriguez, in the same geographical province, has in 

 a similar period lost the equally wingless Solitaire (Pezophaps}, 

 both of these, however, being generally referred to the Rasores. 



The Mammals of the Post-Pliocene period are so numerous, 

 that in spite of the many points of interest which they present, 

 only a few of the more important forms can be noticed here, 

 and that but briefly. The first order that claims our attention 

 is that of the Marsupials, the headquarters of which at the 

 present day is the Australian province. In Oolitic times 

 Europe possessed its small Marsupials, and similar forms 



