SKELETONS OF MOAS

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1933, Page 2

SKELETONS OF MOAS

RECENT DISCOVERIES.

ALMOST PERFECT EXAMPLES.

The discovery of a number of moa bones, including a practically • complete skeleton of an intermediate-sized species, was made in a cave in the Te Kuiti district last week by Mr. F. C. Mappin, of Auckland. At the time, Mr. Mappin ■was engaged on an expedition with Mr. Gilbert Archey, director of the Auckland War Memorial Museum. The skeleton was brought to Auckland yesterday and will be set up in the museum, where it will assist in making an improved display. Its value lies in its comparative completeness, which will help more closely to define the species than would a skeleton assembled from bones found in a mixed deposit. With the skeleton was found a number of mixed bones of moas of different species, all being in the one cave. It is not unusual for the bones to be found mixed in this way, but it is not so usual to And almost complete skeletons, although they have been discovered in the past. A fortnight ago, when searching the Mount Arthur tableland, Nelson, with some friends, Mr. Archey found in some limestone caves partial skeletons of a number of moas, and on this occasion also a nearly perfect skeleton was discovered. It was that of a moa of a smaller, slender, South Island type, but was .not in such good condition as the skeleton found at Te Kuiti. In the Nelson caves there were bones also of moas of the large, heavy South Island type. In one cave the bones of three birds were found, the remains being separated and each maintaining its individual identity. One of these sets was the. almost perfect skeleton. The Nelson bones have been brought to Auckland, and with the remains from Te Kuiti, will make a notable addition to the museum collection.