BAPTIZED.

New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator, Volume IV, Issue 289, 14 October 1843, Page 2

BAPTIZED.

On Sunday,' October 8, at St. Mary's, Catholic Chapel, by the Catholic Pastor, John, son of John and Catherine Kiog, Wellington.

To the Editor of the " New Zealand Gazette and \ Wellington Spectator.' " I Dear Sir, — In the Gazette of 17th August, and sth of October, 1842, X had the honor |o submit to your readers short notices on a Collection of bones, which had been found in Poverty Bay, by the JRev. Mr. Williams. The Collection consisted of 21 portions, which I was jsnabled to divide into eight sets, as having nelonged to eight distinct birds. One set, Composed of six bones, afforded extraordinary measurements, indicating a size of bird truly gigantic; they at the same time, in many points, resembled those of the kiwi. My notice Hi the GazetU of sth October, contains some jiformatiou of considerable interest — chiefly drawn from an Englishman who had resided §i New Zealand for many years. The former existence ' and subsequent extinction, xf a bird of gigantic size, is a fact very* generally mown to the Aborigines, and I was enabled to fraw the attention of the New Plymouth Settlers i i the fact, that large quantities of the osseous * mains of a gigantic bird which has ceased to feist, were still to be found within five miles of Mat settlement. I regret to say, that no addi--fbnal specimens have since reached me. Anongst: a variety of stories current amongst ftT aborigines regarding the extinction of the Ma, I mentioned in nay former notice, that offi partial deluge, and I find from a passage if jDr. Peffenbacn's, late work on- New Zealand, 5396. vol. 1. "that there exiits a tradition in „» neighbourhood of the Likia Botu-rua; that *1 f -a*

near a remarkable totara-tree, their forefather! killed tbe last Moa." Meantime a friend has been so polite as to put into my hands, a copy of the Sydney Morning Herald, of date 26 July 1843, containing an- account of a similar collec' tion of bones; by Richard Owen, Esq., of the London anid did that gentleman's observations offer much new information, they would no doubt have interested your readers I may observe before concluding, that the collection examined by Mr. Owen, appear to have been very similar to that I had the honour of describing, and that no part of the head of the Moa has as yet come under the notice of any comparative Anatomist. The want of this important segment of the skeleton is to be regretted, in as much as the examination of numerous parts of the skeleton will in many instances, nof enable the comparative Anatomist to state precisely what may have been the form of the parts awanting. Mr. Owen I perceive has so far re. stored the lost parts of the skeleton, as to give a new name to tbe bird, and we are informed that we must look in futare* Ornithological Catalogues for the Moa, under the title of Deinornis Novae Zealandice. There can be little doubt that the period when we shall have our own Museum's, is not far distant, and I therefore trust, that out friends at New Plymouth, Poverty Bay, and elsewhere, will enable me to complete my observation on the Moa; and, at the same timo, preserve for inspection in the land of out adoption, its more remarkable productions. I am, my dear Sir, Ever truly your's, Fred. J. Kxox, M.D Wellington, October 11, 1843.