The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-18

birds ha1 thus little chance OF perpetuating
their race. and so far as the North island IS
CO co, cerned ars undoubtedly extinct
W neither Fel have ceased TO exist in the
south lsia1d y still a matter of conjecture.
80 far - can be learned from native
accounts the moa was undoubtedly noe
turnal and solitary in its habits
and may still De found in secluded places
upon the as vet impenetrabls southwest
coast. the word "moa" seems to ba a ge-
neric Maori term for bird. and in the islands
north OF New Zealand the domestic fowl is
called moa. The general opinion is in
favor OF the former existence of several
species of the moa- 7 skeletons in
the Christchureh and Dunedin museums
show at least half dozen stronglv-marked
varieties, and studies of the eggs made by
W.. b. D. Mantsll, F. 6. s., perhaps the
leading authority ON the subject, have re-
suited in the classification of no less than
twenty-four species. This gentleman, by
patient researches among the shell-heaps,
has managed to reconstruct completely Is
number of eggs from their original frag-
ments. An idea Of the labor entailed by
the work may be gained from the fact that
some of the rehabilitated specimens are COM
posed Of between 200 and 800 pieces.
The Dunedin and Christchurch museums
contain some unique relics Of the moa in
blS sid pc u VI liCsu SKID. WHICH.
being found in caves in a section OF country
that is almost Egyptian in its dryness.
have been preserved when every suggestion
of the form of the birds else where has fallen
prey to the process of nature The
Dunedin museum has a considerable part
Of a leg, with flesh and skin attached and
In a surprising state of perfection, and in
the Wellington museum is a part of the
skin-covered neck Of another specimen The
feathers attached to these remains, or other
wise preserved, are long, narrow and hairy.
and strongly resemble those of the emu of
Australia, the nearest antipodeau
relative of the moa still ex-
tant. The specimen of skin and flesh in
the Wellington museum was found on the
sandy floor of a dry cave, in a passage
through which current of air continually
moved, and thus made every condition
favorable for long preservation. The
occurrence of the moa and kiwi (apteryx)
IN New Zealand alone of all the lands of the
South seas furnishes an interesting and
puzzling study TO scientists. Both in ami.
NAL and vegetable life it presents so many
curious features that several naturalist
consider it as distinct biological province.
On this point the opinions of Capt f. w.
Hutton, & close and observant student OF
New Zealand natural history, are most
valuable and interesting. He dissents
from the opinion both of Darwin
and Wallace that New Zealand is an
'oceanic island" from a geological point of
view, owing to the absence of terrestrial
mammals iof which. as is we'll known, there
are no indigenous varieties whatever in tho
colony and the meagerness of its fauna and
flora; that Is, they consider that it has
never formed part of a continental area
since its last emergence from the sea- Capt.
Hutton. however, finds in the wingless
birds of New Zealand fact quite as strongly
in favor Of former connection with some
continent now disappeared as terrestrial
mammalia would be, since they have nc
superior means OF dispersion, and thi Ks
that the New Zealand forms are remnants
of those that formerly occupied a large con.
tinental area.
On this point the moas afford some very
interesting facts. In physical structure
they indicate an intermediate order betw
the so-called ostriches, OF rheas, of South
America, and the emuS and cassowaries
of Australia. Like the rhea, it has only
t lree pairs of sternal ribs, while the emus.
casso " airy, and even the apteryx have four.
The structure of its eggshen also resembles
that of the rhea, and its feathers, pelvis.
and skull are like those of the emu. From
these signs of relationship to species so far
removed at present in geographical
locations as the rhea and emu, there
is reason to suppose that the three
varieties have developed from 6
common stock which formerly occupied {
continent stretching from South America
to Australia, and, perhaps. to South Africa
also, where the curious order of struthious
birds is also represented by one or. at most,
two species of ostriches. The amount of
study that has been given to the moa and
kindred varieties of New Zealand birds is
very slight, but when it shall be further
prosecuted it is likely to show some inter
esting facts, not only to the student of New
Zealand fauna, but to the general inquirer
into the origin and development of species.