FIVE SPECIES OF MOA

Taranaki Daily News, 13 June 1930, Page 9

FIVE SPECIES OF MOA

DISCOVERY AT MOAWHANGO. Results of an official inspection by the Director of the Dominion Museum .(Mr. W. R. B. Oliver), of a collection of rooa bones recently discovered at Moawhango, Taihape, were announced by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle). “I examined the moa bones collected by Messrs. Butler, Daws and Logan,” Mr. Oliver reported, “and found that nine individuals were represented belonging to five species. There was no perfect skleton and many of the bones were much broken and decayed.. The owners stated that probably the bones would be presented to the Taihape museum, but that a few, which I indicated as useful to the Dominion Museum, would be forwarded to Wellington. Nothing, however, has so far been received.

“I obtained details of the discqvcry, which was made hi a locality eight miles from Moawhango. The entrance to a limestone cave, evidently frequented for a long time by moas, had been gradually blocked up by soil falling from above. The bones were found in the talus slope so formed, and at varying depths, showing that moas had at different times died in thp cave and that their bones had been added to the debris filling the cave mouth. “‘The fact that five species were represented shows that it was not a case of the sudden entombment on the cave being finally blocked, but rather that birds. had died in tho cayelat different times.’’, i ' i . >■ -/ v i ,f. : ■