ANCIENT TRACKS OF THE MOA.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 429, 26 May 1871, Page 2

ANCIENT TRACKS OF THE MOA.

By the kindness of Mr. G-. Wovgan we are enabled to lay before our readers some account of the interesting discovery of footprints of the nioa impressed on sandstone laying in the bed of the VVaikauae creek. As many of our readers may bell ware, this creek falls into the Turanganui river a little be* low Q-isborne. At the mouth of the Waikanae, which is atidal creek,and oil its left bank, there is a co nsiderable extent of stratified sandstone lying beneath a deposit of mud some four or five feet in depth. The sand-stone, which in many places has been exposed by the action of the tides, is seen running in layers of about nine inches in thickness. On removing tbe top layer and brushingaway an intervening loose dry sand deposit of about an inch in depth, between the topmost and second layers of sandstone, Mr. Worgan and his companions discovered the imprint of a ruoa's feet very painly indonted and following each other in succession. On either aide of this track were dents here and there, as though made by the birds beuk in picking up food as he walked—the shortness of the stride favouring this belief. Close by this spot Mr. Worgan picked up an old stone hatchet, which, frcm the signs of age it bears is doubtless as ancient as the tracks of the moa. Mr. Gillies, the Superintendent of Auckland, caused a portion of the flag-stone bearing these marks to be removed and has forwarded ib to the Auckland Museum. Mr. Worgan also succeeded in securing a simil|ft~ block which 113 has kindly presented to ts* Napier Athenaeum, together with the hatcheW and which cannot but be viewed with mucf interest, and these articles no doubt will opefr up a useful field of enquiry. Without venturing upon an explanation as to how these foot prints became impressed and found in (heir present condition, Mr. Worgan slates that the appearance generally of tbe strata would seem to indicate submergence and subsequent upheaval. 'Dr. Hector may .probablyij bo able to throw some light upon the subject and furnish a theory for our geologists.