MOA’S EGG UNEARTHED.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13382, 8 October 1936, Page 5

MOA’S EGG UNEARTHED.

RARE FIND NEAR HASTINGS. Electric Telegraph—Press AssociatioD HASTINGS, Last Night. A very rare and probably unique find of the fossilised egg of a moa was made yesterday by workmen engaged in quarrying at the lime works in the locality generally known as ‘‘The Caves.’ 7 Unfortunately the shell was fractured but hopes are entertained that it will be pieced together. The find should be one of outstanding note and considerable interest to geologists.

The find was made by Air J. L. Jorgenson, a quarryman for Lime H ydrates Ltd., who had just fired a shot of explosive to bring down a portion of the cliff face. He was engaged in- picking off the protruding portions of the new face when his pick slipped through soft material. Close examination revealed that, the tip of the pick had pierced an egg shell which was about five inches in diameter and which was later identified as a moa s egg. Both Air A. E. Brooks, manager of the works, and Air H. G. Carr, secretary, were particularly interested in the find, for it follows the of a number of old trees heavily coated in lime deposits, indicating that at one time in the far distant past there was vegetation at a considerably lower level than at present in that locality. The egg was embedded in a large lump of rock, fossilised vegetation and limestone. With the fossil wore found the temains of small birds but the most interesting find of all, in the opinion of Dr. A. G. Clark, was the discovery nearby of portions of a gourd which was introduced to Now’ Zealand by the Ala oris-

“If that gourd was deposited at the locality at the same time as the Alon egg it indicates contrary to common belief that the moa was not extinct before the advent of the Maori.”