MNESICLES, nes'i-klez (Lat.. from Gk. MI,Iierac21A-, 11 no'sikli's . A Greek architect. who )milt the Propyltea of the Acropolis at Athens. His name was found on an inscription in its ruin,, and Plutarch mentions him as its archi tect.
MO'A (Maori name). A general name for a family (Dinornithida) of extinct. ratite birds of New Zealand, sonic of which were of gigantic pro portions. The existence of their remains, and of legends among the :Maoris relating to them. was first published in 1838. The exploration of New Zealand revealed of these birds in great profusion. on the surface, in peat bogs. in sea side sand-dunes. and especially in certain caves where the di air had in some cases preserved not only the ligament..., binding skeletal parts to gether, but even pieces of dried skin and feathers, which still retained their chestnut and white col ors, while and broken egg-shells have also been found. Prehistoric camping-grounds always furnish many charred litotes and frag ments of egg-shells. There is evidence that the extermination was completed about the (late of the discovery of America by Columbus.
The moas form a family more nearly assn lined in structure with the emens, cassowaries, and.. kiwi; than with the ostriches. They were in or-_ ganization nearest to the kiwis (Apteryx), but distinguished by their short beak; and by having after-shafts upon the feathers. They attained
not only to great numbers and size in the isola tion of NeW Zealand (where they were exposed to no enemies until man camel, but to a remarkable variety. some twenty species being now recog nizabb•. Some were not larger than turkeys, and these perhaps may have had some vestiges of wing-bones; but the larger mons were not only wingless, but entirely destitute of any shoul der-girdle whatever. The largest and most typi cal were of the genus Dinornis, and these had long and comparatively slender leg bones and large depressed skulls. Some of these were taller than any ostriches, estimates varying from 10 to 12 feet. The leg of the tallest species (Dinor ais maximus) was considerably longer than that of a horse. In the genus Pachyornis, On the other hand, the leg bones were short, massive and extremely powerful, so that these are called the 'elephant-footed' moos. Their eggs were greenish in color. One (of the giant moo, measuring by inches) was found unbroken in the grave of a Maori, with whom it had been buried un known centuries ago. Consult: ()wens, Extinct Birds of New Zealand (London, 1879) : Newton, Dictionary of Birds (New York, 1893-96) ; and Lucas, Animals of the Past (New York, 1901). See sEPYORNIS ; EXTINCT ANIMALS; EXTINCTION OF ;SPECIES.