THE MOA DISCUSSION.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 404, 31 October 1874, Page 3

THE MOA DISCUSSION.

{To the Editor.) Sin,— Since the appearance of Mr. Booth's interesting paper on the subject of the Moa remains found at Hamilton, a number of very ingenious theories have been started to account for the occurrence in such unusual quantities in that locality. I -venturo to think that the hypothesis adverted to by Mr. Booth ' (but nofc'gveatly favored by him) of the,de-s, struction of the birds by fire, has the*'strdng--est evidence of probability in its favor. If any weight is" to be attached to tho Maori tradition concerning the country at one time having been covered by dense fore-.ts, which were at a later period destroyed by a great fire, then the most likely theory is that tho moas fled before this fire to what at that time was probably the only clear space in the district containing/water.— the Hamilton lagoon —and there perished. There are two Circumstances confirmatory of this view, which I have -not seen previously referred to. The remains found at Hamilton are those of, birds of various ages; — probably from the newlyhatched chick to the veferan'fowl of a couple oi conturics. . Their deaths could, therefore," only have been caused by sonic terribly' sudden catastrophe, such as the great traditional conflagration of the Maoris. Another, circumstance, pointing even yet mOre strongly to the same conclusion, 1 is this :'* The' tdes of numbers of the birds present an abnormal appearance, liot ' to' be accounted for on the score of disease. " This, I submit, might havebeen caused by some of the -birds 'having to': travel £or a distance— over the burning-embers of -the forest, before-they 'Could reach the har- • bor of refuge — the- Hamilton- 'lagoon — from' the nerystorm.' '-'If the peculiar pedal de- • ficiences referred to in Mr. Booth's paper be j examined ji t may probably yet be ascertained that they were caused'by calcination, arising from the cause above stated. — I am, &c, Probability. Upper Waikaia, 24th October.