THE SUPPOSED MOA.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4358, 9 March 1875, Page 3

THE SUPPOSED MOA.

- - -—" -- • ♦""" (From the Lyttdton Times, March 5.) A good deal of excitement was caused in Oxford on Wednesday last, by a report being circulated to the effect that footmarks of a large bird had been discovered on the property of Mr. Cooper, distant about five miles from! Oxford. The origin of the" report, and the facts of the discovery which led to the excitement referred to, are as follows :—On Wednesday morning last, a Mr. Cooper, an old resident in the place, observed, in what is called his ram paddock, a good many footmarks of what appeared to be a very large bird, and considering the phenomenon peculiar, he went down to Oxford for the purpose of communicating the intelligence to some of the leading men, so that the footprints might be traced and measured, with a view of eliciting information as to the nature and description of the bird. He-: informed Mr. Paul, chairman of the Road Board, and Mr. Woodfield, storekeeper, and they immediately accompanied him to the spot indicated, and found tracks of a very large bird, which they traced- for nearly three-quarters of a mile. The distance between all the footprints was from eight to nine feet, showing that the bird (if bird it was) had remarkably long legs. In its travels, they found it had stepped over a creek seven feet wide, and left a footprint on each side. They found excretia, or droppings, in two or three places, which strengthened their belief that the footmarks were those of a large bird. Mr. Woodfield took impressions of two or three of the footprints,, by running melted wax over them ; and in two of the impressions the bird's toes are clearly visible. The foot is a little over six inches in length. The place where the tracks of the bird were found, is only a short distance from the Oxford forest ; and it was evident that the bird was not in the habit of straying far from the bush. It is only about three or four years ago since a son of Captain Poster saw a large bird in the bush at Oxford, and doubtless the footprints which have now been discovered have been very recently made by the same or a similar bird. The gentlemen who have taken the trouble to carefully inquire into and examine the evidence which has been laid before them of the existence of a very large bird at Oxford, do not assert that it is a moa, as they are not in a position to do so, from want of scientific skill; but before the footprints become obliterated by the weather, they are prepared to show them to any persons who may be curious enough to require ocular demonstration. Mr. Woodfield came to Chn'stchurch yesterday with the intention of showing the impressions he had taken of the footprints to Dr. Haast. Later accounts say that the supposed rara avis is a kangaroo which has taken up its abode in the bush. It will be seen by the report of the proceedings of the Philosophical Society that Dr. Powell believes the tracks to be those of a wallaby.