232 
EXTINCT MONSTERS. 
enable him to calculate the size of the egg when complete. As 
a rough guess, I may say that a common hat would have served as 
an egg-cup for it ; what a loss for the breakfast-table ! And if many 
native traditions are worthy of credit, the ladies have cause to 
mourn the extinction of the Moa : the long feathers of its crest 
were by their remote ancestors prized above all other ornaments ; 
those of the White Crane, which now bear the highest value, were 
mere, pigeon’s feathers in comparison.” 
The total number of species of Moa once inhabiting New 
Zealand was probably at least fifteen, and, judging from the 
enormous accumulations of their bones found in some districts, 
they must have been extremely common, and probably went 
about in flocks. “ Birds of a feather flock together ” (proverb). 
It is justly concluded, both from the vast number of bones 
discovered, and from the fact of their great diversity in size and 
other features, that they must have had the country pretty much 
to themselves ; or, in other words, they enjoyed immunity from 
the attacks of carnivorous quadrupeds. In whatever way the 
Moas originated in New Zealand, it is evident that the land was 
a favourable one, for they multiplied enormously, and spread 
from one end to the other. Not only was the number of 
individuals very large, but they belonged (according to Mr. F. W. 
Hutton) to no less than seven genera, containing twenty-five 
different species, a remarkable fact which is unparalleled in any 
other part of the world. The species described by Professor 
Owen in his great work,^ vary in size from 3 ft. to 12 or even 
14 ft. in height, and differ greatly in their forms, some being 
tall and slender, and probably swift-footed like the ostrich, whilst 
others were short and had stout limbs, such as Dinornis elephanto- 
^ Memoir on The Extinct Winfless Birds of New Zealand. London, 1878, 
The beautiful drawing by Mr. Smit (Plate XXIV.) is from a photograph in 
this valuable work representing the late Sir Richard Owen standing in his 
academic robes by the side of a specimen of the skeleton of the great Dinornis 
maximus. 
