The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-23
A GIGANTIC BIRD.
The "Moa" of New Zealand Said to
Still Exist.
1t Is Greater Curiosity Than Any Ever
Exhibited by American Menae
eries-Some Scientific
Theories.

A dispatch from Berlin few DAYS
| ago stated that the Ornithological soci-
ETY. had discovered in the north island
OF New Zealand living species of bird
twice as large as the ostrich, and sup
posed hitherto to be extinct. The Bos-
| ton Herald thinks that if the German
scientist has really caught his bird the
| discovery is the most remarkable in
| natural history, and his prize is d
much greater attraction than Barnum' S
white elephant or any other animal
that the most enterprising circus man
| ager ever exhibited to curious audi
ence. In short, this bird is the moa
which has interested ornithologists
since white people first entered New
Zealand. When the British settled in
New Zealand they found numerous
| skeletons of gigantic bird of the os-
trich family. AS the skeletons indicated,
it was from twelve to sixteen feet high.
Prof. Owen made study of forty
seven almost perfect specimens sent
to England by Mr.. Williams, a
missionary, who had them taken from
the banks and beds of rivers, where
they were buried only slightly in the
mud and evidently within recent times.
The interest of the European investi-
cations was further excited bv the
tales that New Zealand natives told OF
this gigantic bird. The scientists
named it the dinornus giganteus, but
the Maoris called it the moa, and the
native name prevailed. The Maoris
said that the bird was alive in New
Zealand not many generations ago,
and their tribal lore contained many
accounts of encounters with this euor-
nous ostrich. There We're legends of
daring moa hunters. and some of the
natives asserted that few of the
great birds still existed in lonely and
almost inaccessible parts of the New
Zealand mountains. Thus everything
pointed to the fact that the bird was
not confined to some former geological
era, but has existed until a compare
lively late period This theory re
ceived further confirmation from the
fact that the Maoris themselves have
been in New Zealand only few CEN
turies.
According to their undoubted
legends these Maoris were originally
natives of Samoa. Their ancestors.
cruising around in canoes, had been
blown many hundred miles away to
New Zealand in the thirteenth or
fourteenth century of the Christian
era. The island being uninhabited be-
fOy-a +1or- ox..ir-al +Itn hi-I anr,lI
have fOurished there unmolested for
ages The Maoris slaughtered the
birds in great numbers. The moa was
not dangerous unless wounded or in
furiated by the hunters, being similar
in temper. as in form, to the ostrich.
The moa captivated Prof. Owens imag-
nation. He pictured it the lord of the
great Polynesian islands of New Zea-
land. and ruling all its animals, until
the human animal, with his superior
intelligence, came. According to Prof.
Owens theories. deduced from his
studies of the skeletons, the moa was
heavier and bulkier in proportion TO It's
height than the ostrich, but less swift
of foot. The shape of its skull indi-
Gated an affinity to the dodo. with a
lower cerebral development, and con
sequently with greater stupidity.
Thus this heavy, stupid bird became
easy prey 10 the Maori
hunters. who are the boldest and most
vigorous type Of the modern barbarian,
a few hundred of them holding ten
thousand perfectly armed, equipped
and weII-officered British troops at
bay for more than two years. Some
such discovery as this German scien- F.,
tist IS reported to have made is not un-
Scientists have been in T.
clined 70 believe the Maori stories. and (
some OF them have held that the living .
bird would he discovered yet in the
wild interior OF New Zealand. 20 far .
q can be ascertained there were two
distinct species OF these birds. one .
ha bited the North island OF New Yea .
land and the other was native OF the /
South or Middle island. The South
island bird was the largest and stood .
sixteen feet IN height Prof. Owen. Oh +
account Of It's size called i the
Is was extraordinary
for the massive strength Of rs lirabs.
breadth and bulk as well as height