228 
EXTINCT MONSTERS. 
who pointed out the peculiar interest of this discovery on account 
of the remarkable character of the existing fauna of New 
Zealand, which still includes one of the most extraordinary birds 
of the struthious order (‘‘running birds”), viz. the Apteryx, and 
also because of the close analogy which the event indicated by 
the present relic offers to the extinction of the Dodo in the island 
of Mauritius. On the strength of this one fragment he ventured 
to assert that there once lived in New Zealand a bird as large as 
the ostrich, and of the same order. This conclusion was more 
than confirmed by subsequent discoveries, which he anticipated ; 
and, as we shall see, his estimate was a most moderate one, for the 
extinct bird turned out to be considerably larger than the ostrich. 
Later on he received from a friend in New Zealand news of the 
discovery of more bones. In 1843 a collection of bones of large 
birds was sent to Dr. Buckland, Dean of Westminster, by the Rev. 
William Williams, a zealous and successful Church missionary, 
long resident in New Zealand. On sending off his consignment 
Mr. Williams wrote a letter, of which we give the greater part 
below. 
“ Poverty Bay, New Zealand, February 28, 1842. 
“ Dear Sir, 
“ It is about three years ago, on paying a visit to this 
coast — south of the East Cape, that the natives told me of some 
extraordinary monster, which they said was in existence in an 
inaccessible cavern on the side of a hill near the river Wairoa ; 
and they showed me at the same time some fragments of bone 
taken out of the beds of rivers, which they said belonged to this 
creature, to which they gave the name Moa. 
“When I came to reside in this neighbourhood I heard the 
same story a little enlarged ; for it was said that this creature was 
still existing at the said hill, of which the name is Wakapunake, 
and that it is guarded by a reptile of the lizard species [genus] ; 
but I could not learn that any of the present generation had 
seen it. I still considered the whole as an idle fable, but offered 
