MORE MOA BONES FOUND

Southland Times, Issue 23815, 12 May 1939, Page 4

MORE MOA BONES FOUND

AUCKLAND BOY’S DISCOVERY ONE OF SMALLEST SPECIES KNOWN (Special to The Times) AUCKLAND, May 11. When wandering over the lava fields behind the Auckland Zoo, Len Castle, a Mount Albert boy, came across the bones of a moa in a cave. These have been given to the Auckland War Memorial Museum, and from them it was possible to identify the species as one of the smallest classes of moa. The bird was possibly a little over two feet high. It is supposed that the bird had fallen into the cave and been trapped. The remains of a comparatively few species of moa have been found close to Auckland. The latest discovery is of particular interest, as it provides a record of a particular species having been in the district. The collection of moa bones recently obtained by the director (Mr Gilbert Archey) from Limestone Valley at Mangotaki are now being prepared for study. The existence of the bones was discovered by Mr Charles McCullock and the owner of the property, Mr Ronaldson, left the excavation operations until they could be superintended by museum authorities. The bones have been ascertained to belong to two birds, and although far from complete it is clear that one bird was rather larger than an ostrich and the other somewhat smaller than an emu.