FIND OF MOA BONES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 102, 11 April 1933, Page 10

FIND OF MOA BONES

LOCATION IN MUD SPRINGS IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES. OVER 1(100 RECOV ERED. WANGANUI, April 10. A great find of moa bones, the bulk of them in splendid condition, has been made in mud springs situated on a small flat some 10 miles from Wanganui. Although it has been known for many years that bones were to be found on Mr J. Todd’s property at Makirikiri, it was not until Mr A. C. Robertson, assisted by Messrs Georgetti and Miseen, and also the Wanganui Museum authorities, really made a continuous effort to recover them, that it was known how large was the deposit, and how perfect the condition of the bones. Both parties are working at one huge “well,” some 40 feet in diameter, and raised about 5 feet above the level of the paddock. Holes were made by removing the turf and raupo, and long, strong poles, equipped with pincer*, hooks, or tiny grabs, were thrust down. Some “holes” yielded a far richer harvest than others, and sonic were so filled with heavy timber that they hud to be abandoned. So far well over 1000 bones have been recovered, the great majority being leg bones. Some are of immense size, clearly beloning to the largest of the five genera of moa —the Dinornis gigantoons. The majority of tho bones belong to the species Dinoruis ingens, and there are bones of many other of the 22 or 23 species. So far only a few skulls have been recovered, but they are in perfect condition. In an effort to obtain all the bones from the one hole, and thus comI lete a skeleton, three big tanks were sunk, one above tho other, and tho mud bucketed up. The result was not satisfactory, for the weight buckled the under tank, and also caught many bones underneath the bottom rim. Then a ship’s mast, with winch and grab, was erected, but tho grab could not operate owing to the timber. It was found that the slender probes were most suitable for the work. The mud springs are in themselves of interest, being situated on a fiat quite close to each other. Some are still level with the surface, while others have built up mounds with material ejected from the depths bc'ow It is surmised that the pools are part of a chain of warm springs, of which there are several in the vicinity. Why and how tho moas came there, and into swamps and caves in many parts of New Zealand, has puzzled investigators, since the first bone was taken to Professor Owen, in England, by Dr. Rule, in 1839, and identified by him as that of a giant biid. Most of the North Island finds have been in caves, and this makes the Wanganui discovery of all the more interest. The late Mr Elsden Best visited the springs in 1895, and obtained a number of bones by digging and also through the kindness of district residents.