to fur seal and sea leopard, portions of the Maori dog, all evidently from their kitchen, middens; bones of fish, without exception, belonging to Oligorus gigas, the hapuku; also, bones of small birds, of which the enumeration will be found in the lists attached to this memoir; of the latter, those of Graculus punctatus, the spotted shag, were the most numerous.

Works of human industry were not wanting, as we obtained pieces of timber evidently worked and planed down by polished stone implements, and upon one of which a coating of red colour was still visible. Amongst the other objects made of wood hitherto exhumed were—

However, besides the few pieces of Moa bones which might accidentally have been brought into the cave from the outside, there was nothing which could prove that there had been a regular occupation by the Moa hunters.

I therefore set the labourers to work to go through the agglomeratic bed once more, and I was delighted to find, very soon, that this time my expectations were not doomed to disappointment.

After having passed through that bed, which I found to be here 6 inches thick, another ash bed of a thickness of 3 inches was reached, in which I obtained several Moa bones, some of them calcined, others in a splendid state of preservation, belonging to Euryapteryx rheides and Meionornis didiformis, as well as some pieces of charred wood.

Proceeding with the utmost care, several large stones were reached covered with several inches of sand, some of them blackened or split by the action of fire, and placed in such a position as to show that evidently an oven had here been excavated in the sands, these stones, like the remains of the meal taken here, having probably been trampled repeatedly over, and before the ash and dirt beds had been deposited above them.

In digging round this spot I obtained the upper mandible of Aptonis defossor in a fine state of preservation, and a quantity of Moa bones, also two wooden sticks made of pukatea (Atherosperma novœ-zealandiœ) for producing fire. This simple apparatus, the only one found in the cave, has the peculiarity that fire, instead of being obtained by friction lengthwise, was procured by giving the upper stick a turning motion.

However, I may add that this was not the only mode by which the Moa hunting population obtained fire, as in the same lower beds firesticks of the other kind were also found, resembling, in this respect, those belonging to the upper or mollusk eating population, which are used at the present time by the Maoris, and are called kauwahi by them.

About 4 feet from this oven we came across some large pieces of egg-shells, of which many had still the lining membrane attached, proving, by their form of curvature, that they were portions of a Dinornis egg of very large size.

Towards the western side of the cave, partly buried in the sands, partly in the ash-bed below the agglomerate, a well preserved skull of a fur seal, probably Arctocephalus lobatus, was obtained.

Having been so far successful, I had the sea sands examined over a considerable space, and to a depth of seven feet, when water was reached. Since then I have been boring near the same spot, and found that the sea sands continued for another 5 feet before the rock on the bottom of the cave was reached, thus showing that there is here a total thickness of 12 feet of marine sands in the cave.

The following shells were obtained in these sands, without doubt brought with them into the cave by the waves of the sea, viz.:—Mactra discors, M. donaciformis, Mesodesma cuneata, Artemis subrosea, Turritella rosea, and fragments of some others, but no estuary shells.

Section No. 3 (Pl. II.) gives the details of this important point. On the surface we found:—

Amongst the shell beds, blocks of rocks, often of large size, were met with, evidently fallen down from the roof, showing that since the formation of the agglomerate bed the cave continued to be still insecure.

There was thus conclusive evidence of the Moa-hunters having used the cave occasionally as a cooking place; whilst the absence of any shells proved, as I shall also show, when speaking of the numerous Moa ovens amongst the small hillocks of drift sand near the entrance of the cave, that the population who exterminated our huge birds did not look with a favourable eye upon the food, used almost exclusively by their successors, supposing that they could have easily collected it.

However, I may here observe, that near the oven in question, a few valves of our common fresh water mussel (Unio aucklandicus) were obtained, which must have been brought by the Moa-hunters into the cave.

For the next few days we continued to excavate towards the end of the main cave, where, near the entrance to the small middle chamber the marine sands sometimes reached the surface, European, Maori, and Moa-hunter remains being here occasionally mixed with each other, trodden down into the sands by men or cattle. In a few more protected spots, ash and dirt beds, to a thickness of several inches, remained undisturbed above these sands.

Advancing from the entrance to the middle chamber towards the big fragment of rock B, fallen from the roof, which is 6 feet broad by 12 feet long and

10 feet high, and forms a remarkable feature in the cave, the artificial deposits soon became more considerable and full of interest. Close to the rock, on its southern side, they reached a thickness of nearly 3 feet, consisting of—

In the lowest beds, partly imbedded in the sands, we obtained a great number of Moa bones, belonging at least to six specimens, of which four were well represented, namely, three specimens of Meionornis didiformis, of which two were immature birds, and one specimen of Euryapteryx rheides, also not yet full-grown.

Advancing towards the huge rock previously alluded to, I observed that one portion of its unequal under surface stood above the sands, thus leaving a space below, from which we took a number of things, amongst them a fine and perfect pelvis, and several leg bones of an immature specimen of Meionornis didiformis, some bones of the Maori dog, like the former, partly calcined and broken, having been used for food, as well as portions of skeletons of shags, penguins, and some other birds.

When examining the shell beds we had repeatedly found amongst them match boxes, small bones of sheep, and other remnants of European life, evidently brought into their present position by means of numerous rat holes passing through these upper beds; also near to this inconsiderable spot not filled up by the sea sands a few small European remains had found their way, which, if the mode of their transport had not been clear to me might have been a great puzzle.

Section No. 4 (Pl. II.) gives the details of the arrangement of the beds abutting against the rock. Also a considerable amount of drift timber was lying here, without doubt mostly brought so far back by human agency; a great deal of it being charred, or partly burnt; and all the evidence before me went to show that this spot, hidden as it was from the entrance by the huge rock in front of it, had been a favourite camping and eating ground, both of the Moa-hunting and afterwards of the shell fish-eating populations.

For another week I continued to occupy the workmen in the south-castern

portion of the cave, but gradually advancing towards the western side of the cross trench of which section No. 2 (Pl. I.) gives the details.

Before reaching the trench at the spot marked C in the ground plan of the cave (Pl. I.), we came across a stand having been used for the stabling of a horse, which had been dug into the shell-bed to a depth of several feet; in some spots reaching actually down to the marine sands.

This strange place for a stable was now mostly filled with horse-dung and European kitchen middens, well trampled down, and above them, with a layer of the excrements of cattle.

Altogether, in this part of the cave, the beds had been much disturbed by the cave-dwellers of European origin, so that in some instances Moa bones were actually mixed up with bones of butcher's meat, lying now together in disturbed shell beds.

When advancing towards the point where the two main branches crossed each other, the workmen observed, standing vertically in the sands, the remains of two much decomposed piles, having a diameter of about eight inches, and which apparently had been deprived of their bark by means of a smooth stone implement, before having been placed in their present position.

Evidently they had been burned to the ground before the lowest dirt bed had been deposited, their charred ends standing scarcely above the level of the marine sands.

Of these piles, the first was observed 15 feet from the eastern wall of the cave, and 6 feet behind the cross trench, the second opposite to the first on its south-western side and at a distance of 12 feet.

They were found during my absence, and the men not thinking their occurrence of sufficient interest, simply took them out—but noting their position—instead of leaving them standing until I came down. They reported that they had reached about 16 inches down into the sands.

During my presence I caused new excavations to be made round the spot where these piles were reported to have stood, but I could not get any other object except portions of one of the piles, which on examination proved to be rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum).

In the agglomeratic bed in this south-eastern portion of the cave we obtained a number of Moa bones, of which portions of a skeleton of Euryapteryx rheides were the most conspicuous. With the latter also the two rami of the lower mandible were found, but not the least portion of the skull; in fact, the absence of any but very small fragments of skulls in all kitchen middens shows that the brain of the Moa was considered a great delicacy.

Here we got again a few small pieces of obsidian and some chips and cores

of flint together with similar rough and primitive tools made of a hard and compact dolerite found in situ close to the cave.

In the lower beds also seal bones, a few phalanges from the flipper of a small whale, and bones of birds still at present inhabiting New Zealand, were collected; amongst the latter those of the spotted shag and small blue penguin were most numerous.

In the dirt and ash bed above the agglomerate, we obtained a number of bones belonging both to our extinct and living vertebrate fauna, amongst them the greater portion of the skeleton of a fur seal. In the shell beds above numerous Maori remains were found, amongst them a few fernroot beaters, made of wood, some canoe pins, flax-plaitings, all of which will be enumerated in the appendix C.

When examining first the two main trial trenches crossing each other at right angles in the centre of the cave, the absence of the agglomeratic beds was here noted by me, but I then thought that it might have been caused by the roof having—in that part of the cave—accidentally possessed a greater solidity.

In this surmise I was still more confirmed by finding that in those spots the dirt and ash bed was much thicker, lying here directly upon the sands, so that the former had a nearly uniform upper surface.

However, when continuing the excavations across the cross ditch towards the entrance of the cave, to the description of which I shall devote another portion of this memoir, we found in the longitudinal trench a third pile, and observed that in the space between these three points and another point, where, however no remains of a pile were existing, forming an oblong square 36 feet long by 12 feet wide, the agglomerate bed was entirely missing, and the inference was therefore natural that at some time a human dwelling of some kind had been standing here.

My first impression was that the cave dwellers, in order to protect themselves from the pieces of rock becoming loosened at intervals from the ceiling, had built a strong roof, resting upon four corner piles, which, after the principal fall of rocks ceased, had accidentally been burned to the ground, but on closer examination it became clear to me that the time during which the agglomeratic beds were formed was of such long duration that it is impossible to assume such a frail construction having lasted so long. Moreover, one can scarcely believe that a primitive race, and which evidently only at intervals inhabited the cave before the agglomerate bed was deposited upon the marine sands, should act with such forethought and care.

There remains only one other explanation, which I advance with some diffidence, namely, that the builder of the dwelling, whoever he may have been,

excavated not only the four holes for fixing the corner piles into the agglomerate, but actually lifted the same in the space between them; against this, however, it may be observed that if such, as we may presume, unnecessary work was performed, the agglomerate bed ought not only to end abruptly round the former dwelling, but that the removed material, having been thrown outside, the thickness of the bed in question ought to be here much more considerable.

However, from the sections made during the progress of the excavations, it does not appear that the agglomerate bed was generally thicker outside this oblong square, or that it ended abruptly. On the contrary, the same was found to thin out generally close to the intersecting lines, the ash and dirt bed becoming gradually thicker. The same was the case in some of the other portions of the cave, where the agglomerate was also occasionally missing, and I can only regret that when that portion of the cave towards the entrance was excavated, where a great thickness of the overlying shell beds had first to be removed, my official work at the Museum would not allow me to go so often to the ground as I should have wished. This question has, therefore, to remain an open one.

Having reached (Saturday, 19th October) the cross trench on the eastern side of the cave, and thus examined the whole south-eastern portion, I began to continue with the excavations on the south-western side towards the termination of the cave in that direction.

Hitherto we had not been successful either in obtaining human bones, or Maori objects of any value, which I hoped might have been placed in a cache similar to those found in carefully excavated hiding places in the Moa-hunter (and afterward Maori) encampments at the Rakaia. However, that evening we came a few feet from the south-western wall upon disturbed ground, and carefully taking off the material, the skeleton of a Maori was reached, who as section No. 5 (Pl. II.) shows, had been buried a considerable time.

The aborigines who had placed the body there, had dug through the shell-bed for about 8 inches, then 2 inches through the dirt and ash bed belonging to the older series, and 4 inches through the agglomeratic deposit.

They had then excavated the marine sands for several feet, and had placed the corpse in a sitting position in the grave thus formed, tied together with flax, the face towards the wall of rock, covering it with part of the sands thrown out, the rest being thrown with the shells excavated around the spot.

However, it was clearly visible that the ground had afterwards been levelled, as it were, under the feet of human occupants, and about six inches of newly-formed shell-bed, being continuous and level with the more distant

layer of the same nature, had been deposited over the grave, the whole being capped with 3 inches of European accumulations.

It is thus evident that the burial had not only taken place long before the Europeans came to the cave, but that the Maoris continued for a considerable number of years to frequent the cave, and to take their meals there after that event had happened.

This fact naturally leads me to conclude that the cave was not constantly, or even regularly, visited by the Maoris; and that its occupation occurred only occasionally, and by different tribes of natives; because, judging from the character and superstitions of the aborigines of the present time, we can safely say that, after the burial of one of them, the cave would have become strictly tapu to all those having any knowledge of the fact, at least as far as the taking of meals is concerned.

This opinion is also shared by the Rev. J. Buller, whom I consulted on this question, and who, having been living for many years amongst them in the Northern Island, is perfectly acquainted with all their customs.

From this fact alone, and the conclusions therefrom, if admitted, we are obliged to assume that considerable space of time was necessary to form this shell bed alone.

The body, as before observed, had been tied together with flax, the knees being placed below the chin. Owing to the antiseptic properties of the sand, there were still some ligaments and skin upon the bones, and some hair upon the skull.

The skeleton which has been articulated by Mr. F. Fuller, and now stands in the Canterbury Museum, belongs to a man of a height of nearly 6 feet, past manhood. The ulna of the left arm is broken, and was only partially healed when the man died.

We are so accustomed to observe natives possessing a fine set of teeth that it is rather striking to see that this aborigine must have suffered very much from bad and distorted teeth.

Thus we find that most of the premolals and molars are missing in the lower jaw, the alveoles being already quite absorbed. In the upper jaw, the first molar on the right side, and the first molar on the left are distorted inwards, their anterior surfaces being adherent to the alveoles, which are developed into a slight bony outgrowth. Owing to a very remarkable distortion of the left molar, mastication was performed with its outer surface, which was worn.

Examining the two smaller caves, we obtained here some Moa and other birds' bones lying close to the surface of the sands, mixed up with ashes and other signs of human occupation, so that it is evident that casual visitors

penetrated to these inner caves, probably to hide themselves from their enemies, and cooked their meals, or at least lighted fires.

As these two smaller caves for years past have been visited by Europeans, a number of Moa bones have, as I understand, been carried away, having been observed amongst the sands.

Having reached the end of the main cave, a more tedious piece of work was now before us, because before being able to reach the dirt and agglomerate beds in this northern portion of the cave, we were obliged to remove a considerable mass of shell deposits, which, as we approached the entrance of the cave, became gradually thicker till they reached a thickness of 8 feet.

I have already before stated that the agglomerate bed was missing where the supposed hut or enclosure had once been standing, and that the ash and dirt bed continued without interruption to cover here the marine sands.

Over this area I observed the dirt bed to possess a much greater thickness than in other localities where the agglomerate was present, attaining generally a thickness of 8 to 9 inches between the four piles, and thus showing that by a more extended deposition of ashes and kitchen middens, the general level of the floor of the cave had here been maintained.

We obtained here, mostly embedded in the marine sands and only partly entering the dirt bed, the bones of the left leg belonging to a large specimen of Euryapteryx gravis. The tibia and femur had been broken in the usual manner for the extraction of the marrow, whilst the metatarsus was entire, and very much calcined at its lower (distal) extremity. The fibula was found to be also broken in several places, as would happen by fracturing the tibia, with the former bone still attached. Some phalanges and a great number of small pieces of the two broken leg-bones were lying also close by.

As none of the bones were calcined, with the exception of the lower portion of the metatarsus, it appears that this part, not possessing any flesh, was not protected from the fire so carefully as the other portions had been.

If this surmise be correct, we have here a case of broiling on a large scale before us.

Advancing towards the entrance of the cave, we obtained, occasionally in the marine sands, agglomerate and dirt beds, rough stone implements, mostly mere chips of dolerite, obtainable close to the cave, and with very few exceptions, in no way to be compared with the artistically chipped flint implements from the Rakaia encampment; but these shapeless implements were now sometimes replaced by better formed tools. Some pieces of obsidian were found with them, embedded in the agglomerate, having, in two instances, the form of spear heads.

From the great number of Moa bones belonging to so many specimens and