BONES OF MOA

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 186, 24 August 1937, Page 8

BONES OF MOA

Our Own Correspondent. )'

Government Makes Grant To Aid Search £1200 FOR WANGANUI

(From

WANGANUI, Aug. 23. The Government has notified the authorities of the Wanganui Museum that it is prepared to malco a monetary grant not exceeding £1200 for the purpose of conducting further search for moa bones on the property of Mr. J. Todd. Makirikiri. The sum will be available to the Wanganui Museum Trustees, in whose hands the work lias been eonducted, ably led by the eurator (Mr. George Sheppard), who has already pieced together 10 moa "skeletons, representing eight species of moa. The first bones of the moa discovered in Waneanui, were found by Mr. J. H. Burnet, on "Riverlands," the Paul Estate, between Wanganui and Makirikiri. A eomplete skeleton was pieced together from the bones found in that region, and, from time to time, smaller deposits have been found there. It was some tliree years ago that excavation work eomineneed on what appear to be bottomless mudholes on Mr. 'i'odd's farm. A band of enthusiasts undertook the work voluntarily, and buckefs full of slimy mud were haulded up. ISurprisiiigly good results rewarded the workers and the Wanganui Museum is to-day favoured with the most eomplete set of moa skeletons in the Dominion, an exhibit which was reeently displayed in a new show case. During the summer months the excavation work was continued and not long ago the loeality was visited by. an ofiicer of the Government geological survey" department, who has smco submitted a report covering the topography of the loeality. Last summer the museum authorities went' into the work 011 a large scale, usiug a grab to fatkoin the depths of the hoies. Finance was a severe handicap, and represenlations were made to the , Government, with a result that the grant refcrred to has come forward. This will mean that a work which is wideiy recognised as of importance to New Zealand will be able to progre&s as was intended. The bones so far found on Mr. Todd's property have been in a rem ark ably sound state of preservation and are admirably suited to tlie jturpose Ihe museum has ip view. The actual piccmg together of the skeletons will be left to Mr. fcJheppard, ono of the leaduig authorities on moas in the Dominion.