Recent Period.

It is only in æolian or fluviatile deposits of this age that we find traces of man. Sand dunes are well developed in many places round the coasts of New Zealand. Between Mánukau Harbour and Port Waíkato they form hills 500 or 600 feet in height, the sands being often cemented into hard rock by iron-oxide derived from the black iron-sand.

A very complete list of the localities where Moa-bones have been found, whether in peat-mosses, sand-dunes, or caves, has been given by Mr. C. Smith ^*, to which I can add nothing of importance. No less than eighteen species of Dinornis have been found, all of which have been described, more or loss fully, by Sir R. Owen. Of these, five are recorded from the North Island only, and nine from the South Island only; while four are common to both islands. The following table shows their distribution. I have divided them into four subgenera.