[Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 15th September, 1874.]

In the spring of the year 1872, Mr. Edward Jollie suggested to me that the Moa-bone Point Cave, near Sumner, if properly examined, would doubtless yield important and interesting results. My friend thought that by making there extensive and careful excavations, the question as to the period of the extinction of the Moa would be, if not entirely solved, at least considerably advanced, and that even the ground near the entrance of the cave, many acres in extent, if properly investigated, would offer additional evidence for the elucidation of the subject. On my remark that no funds for such an undertaking were at my disposal, Mr. Jollie headed at once a subscription list for the purpose, followed by a number of gentlemen who took an interest in the matter, and which, assisted by a grant from the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, soon placed the greater portion of the necessary funds in my hands.

After having obtained the permission from Mr. Alfred Claypon Watson, Sumner Road, on whose property the Sumner cave is situated, I began the work of excavation on Monday, 23rd September, and ended on Saturday, 9th November, 1872, the same having thus been accomplished in seven weeks, during which time I occupied always two labourers working under my directions.

I may be allowed to present here my warmest thanks on behalf of the Canterbury Museum to the subscribers of the funds, of which the details of expenditure will be found in Appendix A, and to Mr. Watson, the owner of the soil, for his permission to undertake the work.

I wish also to apologise to them that I have not been able before to-day to lay the results of these excavations and researches before them. However, I must plead, in extenuation, that the bulk of this paper was written more than a year ago, but that I was then compelled, from want of room in the Museum, to repack the extensive collections made during these excavations, before I found the time to examine them thoroughly, and describe them in detail; and only in the last few months I have managed to make the necessary space in one of the work rooms for doing so.

Before entering into a description of the results achieved, I think it will be expedient to offer a few general observations on the geological features of the