
80 AUSTRALIAN ZOOLOGY, 
added another proof of its relationship to the green-egged emus and 
cossowaries of Australia. 
Moa’s Hiyg.—The moa, whose eggs are still occasionally found, 
and whose name is preserved in the Maori legends, is entirely gone ; 
the apteryx is its only living relative, On Nov. 14th, 1865, Mr. S. 
Stevens exhibited to the Zoological Society, London, a nearly perfect 
egg of a moa and read an extract from a Wellington newspaper, 
thus :—Information was obtained from Captain Davidson, of the 
schooner ‘‘ Ruby,” which then traded between Wellington and the 
Kai Koras, that a man employed at the latter place was divging the 
foundation of a house, when, on the side of a small mound, he 
suddenly came upon the egg in question. and the skeleton of a man, 
supposed to have been a Maori. The body had evidently been buried 
in a sitting posture, and the egg placed in the hands, as when found 
the arms were extended in such a manner as to bring itimmediately 
opposite his mouth. This, it is assumed, was in accordance with 
the Maori custom, and was done for the purpose of giving the 
individual who was buried an opportunity of sustaining himself if 
he thought proper, or if, in the course of things he required sus- 
tenance. Between the legs of the skeleton were found numerous 
tools, cut from greenstone, including a spear, axe and several 
implements, which would lead to the belief that the man, 
whose bones these were, must have been, in some way or other, 
connected with the wood trade. All the bones were in excellent 
preservation, one arm and hand being entirely without blemish. The 
skull bore evidence of its proprietor having, at some time or other, 
received hard knocks, probably in the battle-field. Unfortunately, 
before the man who was digging discovered the natural treasure, the 
implement he was using came in contact with the shell and broke a 
small piece out of the side of it, but the fragments were carefully 
preserved, so as to be readily fitted in the aperture. The egg is 
about 10 in. x 7 in., the shell being of a dirty brownish colour, and 
rather thicker than a shilling. The inside was perfectly free from 
all traces of decayed matter. Fragments of moas’ eggs are frequently 
found in various localities, and Mr. Mantell satisfied himself that 
the egg must have been used as food by the natives. He inferred 
this from finding that the fragments towards one end of the shell 
were scorched, when they were found in the native cooking ovens, 
which correspond to the ‘‘kitchen-middeas” of Europe. His 
inference receives confirmation from the manner in which the above 
mentioned egg was found. (P.Z.S., 1865.) 

TasMANtN Devin—Sarcophilus ursinus. 
Description.—This animal is called by the colonist ‘‘the devil” 
or ‘‘native devil” from its black colouring, and unsightly appear- 
ance —a name which is likely to convey an erroneous impression of 
its nature. The fur with which the Tasmanian devil is covered, is 
coarse, of moderate Jength, and black, excepting on the head, tail, 
and under parts of the body, where it is brown-black. A broad 
