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EXTINCTION OF THE MOA.

At a recent meeting of th" Zoological Society of London, Pro lessor Owen communicated a verv interesting letter, which he had lately received from Dr. Julius Haast. F. U. S. of Canterbury, New Zealand, on the subject of the extinction of the moa. or Dinumis. Dr Haast was of opinion that these gigantic birds had been extinct many hundreds of years, and had been s • before the arrival of the Maoris in Nov Zealand,having been exterminated by arace which previously inhabited these v-l™"* nearthc mouth of the river Hakaia. He had recently been so fortunate ns to find the remains of a former large encampment of these " moa-hunters." The kitchenmiddens and cooking-ovens, which were still completely preserved, were spread over more then forty acres in extent. .Numerous stone weapons were discovered, consisting either of hard sandstone or of chipped flint. The moa bones were very abundant, but belonged chiefly to the smaller species, fiinomlx and ru.iniarinu.i, J), duliformh, and D. cnviins. There were also some bones of D. clrphnntopu.i, and a small Palajih'ri/j- iiifiats, but none of I), rjiqantcus and I) rojln-iti's. 'I he leg bones of these birds had "all been broken at the ends, so as to al!<-*v the marrow to be extracted, and the skulls scooped out from below, so that the brain might be reached. 'he middens likewise contained bones of the domestic dog. sea-gull, and the tympanic bone- of several species of whale, but no human remain- had been found amongst the heaps, so that it might be presumed that the moa-hunters were not cannibals.—On November S, lStiD. Professor Ehrouberg communicated to the Koyal Prussian Academy of .Science an extract from a letter received from Dr Julius Haast, of Canterbury, New Zealand, describing his discovery of an old dwelling of moa-hunters, with its cooking places and other objects of interest. The stone implements found in this place were made of flint, and not polished : they resemble those found at Amiens. Dr. Haast considers that his researches confirm the opinion that the moa-hunters belonged to a different race from the Maoris, who, lie added, have no tra lition concerning the fate of the preding nice.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18700507.2.34

Bibliographic details

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1967, 7 May 1870, Page 6

Word Count
363

EXTINCTION OF THE MOA. New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1967, 7 May 1870, Page 6

EXTINCTION OF THE MOA. New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1967, 7 May 1870, Page 6

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