“Ka kai te kaka i te wai kaihua, ka kiia he rarangi tahi.” When the kaka are seen feeding on the wai kaihua, it is said to be the rarangi tahi. This latter term was applied to the last great rallying or gathering of birds, principally kaka, on the hill-growing rata when it blossoms. The rata trees growing on the ranges bloom later than those situated in the valleys. The kaka in former times gathered in great numbers on these mountain rata to partake of the wai kaihua. They were very fat at this time, and could not be lured by a decoy, or taken either by the mutu or pae methods. Hence they were taken by spear alone at such a time. Kereru, koko, and other birds also flocked to these trees, and many species would be seen on a single tree. This general gathering of birds is termed rarangi tahi. It is an expression often heard, as, “I mua, i te wa o te rarangi tahi” (In former times, in the time of the rarangi tahi). For it is now practically no more, so scarce have birds become. This period occurred about January. That was the spearing-time. Prior to that the kaka was taken by the mutu method. In giving evidence in a Native Land Court, a local Native said, “Kaore he toromiro o tenei taha o te poraka, he rarangi tahi tenei” (There are no toromiro trees on this side of the block; this is a rarangi tahi). He meant that rata were the principal bird-trees on this side.

We have four different names applied to trees on which birds are taken, which names refer to the methods employed for taking the birds:—

(1.)	Tutu.—Any tree on which birds are taken by the mutu method is so termed.
(2.)	Taumatua.—Any tree on which birds are taken by the tahei process—i.e., the snares are arranged on the tree-branches, and not on an artificial perch.
(3.)	Kaihua.—A tree on which birds are speared. An old saying is, “He toka hapuku ki te moana, he kaihua ki uta” (A hapuku fishing-rock at sea equals a kaihua on land). Because both provide an abundance of food. By the way, did it ever strike you how poetic similes appeal to the Maori mind, how many a pithy saying is in the form of a distich? These poetic comparisons are most numerous, are of a rhetorical character, and marvels of condensation: e.g., Hohonu kaki, papaku uaua (Deep throat, shallow muscles)—which explains itself. The triad does not appear to have been so cultivated by the Maori. A triad for the Welshman, a distich for the Maori.
(4.)	Tipapa, or rakau tipapa.—This name seems to be applied to a tree much resorted to by pigeons. We have seen that tipapa kereru means “a flock of pigeons.” Tipapa is apparently a form of whakapapa. A taumatua is often termed a rakau tipapa.

It is a fact that every tree that comes under the above headings—that is, every tree famous as a bird-tree, and on which birds are, or were, taken each season—has its own distinct name. We give a few examples:—

• Wahianoa: A kahikatea tree, a famous taumatua, standing at Heipipi, Rua-tahuna.

• Takapari: A hinau tree at Te Rua-kuri, on Te Purenga Block. When this tree bore much fruit it was deemed a sign that a plentiful season was at hand. If it produced little fruit, then a lean season followed.

• Te Whare o Rakau-tawhia: A kaihua tree at Te Hereherenga, Tara pounamu, where To karaha, of Ngati-Where, was slain by Tuhoe.

• Ranina: a matai tree at Manga-kakaho, on which koko were taken with snares (he rakau tahei koko). This word should be spelt as raninga. It is said to be derived from rara; which seems curious. When many koko were caught in the snares they looked as if they were rara ana ki te ahi (suspended before the ahi matiti).

• Manuruhi: A kahika tree, a kaihua, situated at Pu-kareao. This tree is mentioned in a song composed by one Uhi-tere—a lamen for her husband:—

  He manu maunu au kai te tao
  Na Te Kurapa e whakatoro ra
  Te kaihua kai Manuruhi ra.
  

  Any place where a nemed tree stands is always known by such name.

• Hei-pipi: A kahika tree at Te Wera-iti. He rakau tahei koko. Great numbers of koko were snared on this tree in fromer times—so many that they looked like a hei pipi or tahei pipi—strings of the pipi shellfish hung up to dry.

• Kaka-nui, O-hira-moko, Kake-wahine, and Pou a Te Wini are all names of such bird-trees, and also place-names.

Another distichous saying:—

Ko Kaitara ki uta
Ko Mou-tohora ki waho ki te moana.

Kaitara is the name of a toromiro tree at Te Wera-iti, famed as a resort of pigeons, while Whale Island is a famous fishing-ground. The one is a hapuku rock, the other a pigeon rock (resort), says Pai.

In days of old, when a man was going a-snaring or hunting he would take his son with him, or a nephew, while they were young lads, so as to point out to them the tribal or subtribal boundaries, landmarks, and all other remarkable places. He would show him all snaring-trees and teach their names, telling to whom they belonged, and so forth. In this wise: “This is a tutu; its name is—; you will manipulate this tree. This is a kaihua, and its name is—; it belongs to” such a family group.

“This again, is a wai tuhi, and will be worked by the childern of” such a person. “These waka kereru belong to the descendants of—, who will use them. That strem yonder is named—; it divides our lands from those of—: you can fish that stream from its junction with the—River up to” such a point, “but no further.”

Women, when fishing by torchlight at night, often took their children with them, and instructed them in a like manner.

The term wai tuhi is applied to such small pools of water as are found in hollow places on trees, logs, and rocks, and which, being resorted to by birds, are covered with many snares, so that the birds, when drinking, thrust their heads through the snare-loops, and are so captured. A pool not so used is not termed a wai tuhi. Tuhi is a very curious word of the Native tongue, and it will often puzzle you should you rely merely on its meanings as defined by Maori dictionaries. Te Wai-tuhi is a place-name near Tarapounamu, the name being derived from a wai tuhi hard by, a diminutive pool of water lying in a hollow of a tawa tree. Wai tahei is a name applied to streams, or larger pools on the ground. where pigeons go to drink, and hence are covered with snares—of which more anon.

We have seen that the trees much used as snaring or spearing places by fowlers were often rendered prolific by means of a mauri, and their vitality and productiveness protected by very peculiar guardians. When Tuhoe slew Tionga, of Te Arawa, at Puke-kai-kahu, Te Tokai, of the former tribe, cut off Tionga's head and took it to Te Whaiti, where he placed it on a famous birding-tree named Matawera, at Okahu, as a guardian for that tree, which was a tutu. Hence the descendants of Tionga are often styled Tiaki Tutu (tiaki, to guard). Such descendants, however, do not accept the appellation as a compliment—far from it.

We must now fix up that bird-tree. When it was decided to use a certain tree as a tutu for taking birds on, the priestly adept would render that tree tapu by means of a certain karakia (charm, spell, invocation, incantation). The priest then takes the hau of the tree—that is, something to represent the hau. He takes the first bird caught on that tree, or simply the kira of such bird, and hides it in the forest. That is for the purpose of thwarting the evil designs of enemies. Should any one attempt to destroy the fruitfulness of that tree, to tamaoa it, or drive the birds therefrom, he will surely fail, because the hau (mauri) is concealed. Such a tree has no hau (?) until the invocation has been repeated over it by the priest, neither was the tree tapu prior to the performance of that rite. (Ma te tohunga e whakatapu i te rakau. Mo te tangata raweke taua mahi. Ka patu te tangata i taua rakau, kaore e mate, notemea kai te huma te hau. Kaore he hau o te rakau i te wa kaore ano kia karakiatia e te tohunga. Kaore hoki he tapu i taua wa.)

A person might seek to destroy the utility of the tree by means of finding the mauri (which represents the hau of the tree) and defiling the same, or—a ka-mimi, ka tiko ranei te tangata raweke ki taua rakau. But he will not succeed unless he finds the mauri—a very improbable event. If he does not find it, then his base act turns on him and rends him, for the tapu of the tree will kill him—that is to say, the gods of the priest who rendered the tree tapu will destroy him. He will surely perish ere long, unless he goes to that priest who is the medium of the destroying gods and prevails upon him to save his life. He alone can save it. Katahi ka hikaia e te tohunga, a ka ora. Then the priest will perform a rite, and so preserve the man's life.

A tree at Te Wera-iti named Te Rua o Tane, a tutu, has this tapu power to destroy man. Only the owner of the tree, Te Pou-whenua, grandfather of Te Whenua-nui, could save the man's life.

Concerning the right to take game on alien lands: In former times, when a man received permission to take game on lands to which he had no claim, he would set aside a portion of the game taken thereon and convey it to the principal chief of the people to whom that land belonged. Even though such tribute was not accepted, he would act in the same manner on subsequent occasions. If the tribute was accepted it might give the person a right to live on such lands, or be construed in that manner.

When Paitini was shooting birds for the opening of the carved house “Rauru” at Te Whakarewarewa, he procured many of them on land to which he had no right, but which belonged to his niece and others. Hence, at the close of the season, he gave them a double-barrel breech-loading shot-gun. It was accepted, and he now considers that he has the right to again take birds on that land.

Paitini also tells me that, if he went to Maunga-pohatu (his mother was of Ngati-Maru of that place) and found the products of the land being pre

pared for visitors, such food would be first offered to him, as a matter of form, although he would not accept it. Such food would then be handed over to the visitors. The people of Maunga-pohatu are the only Natives hereabout that still keep up this old custom.

In some cases people might have a right given them to take game on certain lands without that right giving them any mana over the lands. Sometimes a person (or persons) would be given the use of a certain snaring tree or trees, or of a rat-run, when he had no right to the land. Descendants of such persons are sometimes given shares in such lands when they are put through the Native Land Court, but this course would be optional with the owners. (My informant might have added to the above that such descendants often try to establish a claim to such lands in the Native Land Court on the grounds that their ancestors were owners in the block.)

All children, including those of polygamous or slave wives, had rights to their parents' lands. The father would apportion his fishing-rights, bird trees or troughs, wai tuhi, wai tahei, rat-runs, &c., among his children, a forest ridge to one, three or four snaring-trees to another, some pigeon-troughs to another, and so on. His fishing-rights and rat-preserves would be divided among his children in a similar manner. The first-born son often received the largest share, as he possessed the greatest amount of mana over the land—that is, in most cases, but not always so. Mana over land depended much upon the individual, it was a variable quantity: “Ka rerere nga mana.” For instance, an eldest son might be a famous warrior and spend much of his time in fighting tribal enemies, and be content with his mana as a warrior, having little to say in matters pertaining to land: “Ko tona toa he whenua mona.” His fame as a fighter would be his land. In such a case, those of his younger brothers who became adept at fowling, trapping, and cultivating would have greater mana over the family lands, even though they be children of a polygamous wife.

The apportionment of bird-preserves, &c., sometimes led to disputes, but the most important thing for the apportioner to do was to publicly announce his decision and arrangements to the village community or sub-tribe. For this was the Gazette notice of the Maori of yore, a custom that yet obtains here.

You will thus observe that a person could only take game on land belonging to his family. He could not trespass for such a purpose on the lands of another family group or subclan. When Te Uoro came from Whakatane to Rua-tahuna and asked permission of Maro to take game in those parts, he was denied. Moving on to Kaka-nui, he was allowed by a forebear of Paerau to trap game on the lands extending from O-hira-moko to the Huia-rau range. While exploring the summit of Huia-rau one fair morn he met Puke-hore, of Ngati-Ruapani, the people of Wai-kare Moana. These two discoursed a while, and Te Uoro hung his weapon on a tree hard by; hence that spot has since been known as Te Whakairinga—or, in full, Te Whakairinga o te Patu a Te Uoro, which is quite a name. Te Uoro went with his new acquaintance to his home on the shores of the Sea of Wai-kare, where, in days that followed, he married his host's daughter Te Amohanga. Their descendants are yet in camp near unto the Great Kuri of Meko.

When trouble arose at Turanga anent the slaying of Tupurupuru, Kahutapere and some of his people were compelled to abandon their homes and seek new ones. A priestly adept of the party, who was a tuku matatuhi, or seer, said, “Let us fare northward. I have beheld a vision of a fair land