Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-04-13
fcopydght, 1901, by Frank G, Carpen-
teri
chrIstchurch, New Zealand.

teri
Chrlstchurch, New Zealand.
How would you like to meet a bird as
tall as a giraffe, which lays eggs as
big AS pumpkin? You can see the
image of one at Cmistchurch, New
zealand. You can see O bakers dozen
Of skeletons showing the gigantic mon
ster in the different stages Of It's
growth and behind glass you can see
some of the real eggs laid By It CEN
tury or more ago, when II trod the soil
~ his country / refer to the great
moo supposed to be the biggest bird
over created sat down before the
model Of il In ChristChurch New Iea-
land and made some notes describing
N Its tail as the bird stands on the
door Is Just as high as my head ana
lis ankle Is az biz around as my cali.
It's gigantic body covered with gray
feathers. might have been modelled out
of small haystack, and its tall thin
noel, Is stretched so high above IT'S
breast that the whole could not possibly
be smeezed into the average parlor II
has mo- wings, but It's legs are as strong
ms those OF a camel, and II looks quite
as big It's feet have claws much like
those of "A turkey save that they are
enormous In size and each foot long.
doubt not the original could have
stamped Out the life of man az one
blow. Beside one Of the moa skeletons
was placed the skeleton Of an ordinary
man the head Of the bird rising at
least eight feet above the skull OF the
man. The bones We're real bones found
IN this part of New Zealand they are
Joined together by wires.
The first bones of the moa were dis
covered about sixty years ago. The bird
existed IN New Zealand within very
recent period and there are Maorls VINO |
VIII tell you that their forefathers |
hunted It. The probability, however, Is
that IL antedates the advent OF the
Maoris but there Is no doubt that II |
was once eaten In great numbers Tor |
I'm the old ovens which have been eN- |
cavated quantities OF cooked moa bones |
have been found. But as to when that !
time was and who the moa hunters |
were no one knows.
EGGS AS RIG AS FOOT BALLS.
The moa eggs were each about foot
long. One was found some years ago
BY man when digging the foundation
of house. He had gone down several
feet when he came upon the skeleton OF
man IN sitting posture, the egg
was held in the mans bony myers IN
such a manner as TO bring 1t immedl-
ately opposite his mouth, and II Is sup
posed that Il was placed there with the
idea that the ghost Of the dead would
have something TO eat during the IN
tervals OF his long sleep. There were a
stone spear and an AK by the SIDE OF
the man. showing that he was probably
n warrior and his skull bore evidence
of having received several hard KNOCKS
probably on the battlefield, The egg
was ten inches long and seven inches IN
diameter and It's shell was about as
thick as n silver twenty-five cent piece.
Its inside was perfectly empty but |
whether time or the dead native had |
sucked out the contents the records 90
not say,
THE WINGLEsS BIRDS OF NEW
ZEALAND
The moa was wlngless, II seems to |
have been a giant edition OF some OF the |
strange birds New Zealand has now |
Inere are NlnblfsH WI 10 ~ ANtN ~"
land not larger than good sized chick !
ems. which are moas in miniature. | |
refer TO the kiwis, some Of which have
seen here Ut Christchurch. The kiwis |
have hairlke feathers OF somewhat the |
color OF a quail. They have long bills,
sharp al the point with which they can |
bore down into the mud for worms, and |
their legs are much like those Of the |
m0a.
/ have had several OF them In my |
hands, and by feeling carefully | can |
discover what seems Ike little lump |
on each side whore the wing ought to |
be, Otherwise than this no wings are |
perceptihle.
The klw is a night bird At the col |
lege here, where | saw them, the birds |
We're penned up like chickens and had |
to he brought out Of the coop for me |
TO examine them, They seemed almost |
blinded by the light and ran about this |
way and that In apparent terror The |
birds are now growing very scarce I'm |
New Zealand The Maors are fond OF |
them for food. and their skins are high.
" priced as dresses for the chiefs. They .
are now only TO be found in the dense |
beds OF ferns which cover parts Of New |
Zealand Il Is very difficult 10 catch |
them, for they look much like the dead .
fern leaves, and they take refuge In
crevices In the rocks and In deep holes