“Full Story Of The Moa Still To Be Written”

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29767, 9 March 1962, Page 16

“Full Story Of The Moa Still To Be Written”

The full story of the moa, and the causes of its extinction, remained to be written, said Professor G. A. Knox, professor of apology at toe University of Canterbury, in his presidential address to the annual meeting of the Canterbury branch of the Royal Society. Only a very small part of the famous Pyramid Valley swamp had been excavated, Professor Knox said. It was estimated that toe three-acre swamp might contain the skeletons <4 more than 2000 moas. The importance of the Pyramid Valley specimens lay in the fact that the skeletons were preserved complete, with little or no mixing of the bones of specimens. Professor Knox traced the history of moa-bone discoveries from the days of von Haast, when in 1866 he first recovered many bones from a on Glenmark station, north of toe Waipara, and brought back to Christchurch a large American four-horse waggon full of specimens.

“Although many of von Haast’s conclusions on the moa were challenged in his own time, and subsequently, they have, in the main, been substantiated by recent findings. in particular the researches of the present director of the Canterbury Museum. Dr. R. S. Duff." Professor Knox said.

From the Pyramid Valley swamp, 140 moa skeletons, representing four separate genera, had been recovered up to 1949. and also remains of the giant rail Aptornis, the flightless goose Cherniornis, and the giant eagle Harpagornis, said Professor Knox. Much, however, remained to be done, but the storage space at the Canterbury Museum was even now taxed by what had been already recovered from the Pyramid Valley swamp. “The unparalleled material already in the museum, and

awaiting excavation, provides the beat opportunity of accomplishing the writing of the full story of the moa. - * Profeasor Knox said. “I amcarely hope that at some time soon funds will become available for this purpose’ Professor Knox traced the history of biological research in Canterbury In the la* 100 years in his address, with emphasis on the work done by the Royal Society. Canterbury Museum, and the University of Canterbury.