of an unknown species of Bird. 93 



APPENDIX. 



Note A., page 81. 

 The Tuatara is an animal belonging to the class Reptilia, order 

 Sauria ; but to which of the families composing the same, I cannot, in 

 the absence of books of reference, at present determine. It appears to 

 possess characters common to Lacertinidcc and Iguanidm, in its having 

 the thin and extensible tongue of the former, combined with the un- 

 divided one of the latter. It is common in some parts of New Zea- 

 land, particularly on rocky headlands and islets lying off the coast. 

 I have one at present in spirits, which I had alive for nearly three 

 of the winter months ; during which time, although I repeatedly 

 tried to get it to take some kind of food, I could not succeed. From 

 its habits I supposed it to be a hybernating animal. It measured 

 19 inches in length, had a row of elevated spines (or rather recurved 

 scales) nearly the whole length of its back, and appeared a perfectly 

 harmless creature. It was taken, with two others, on Karewa islet, 

 off Tauranga harbour, in the Bay of Plenty. The natives speak of 

 another species possessing a forked tail ! and assert that a larger 

 species, which inhabits swampy places, has been seen six feet in 

 length, and as thick as a man's thigh. The largest, however, that 

 I have ever heard of did not measure above two feet in length. 



Note B., page 82. 

 The shells of several species of Haliotis, Ostrea, and other na- 

 crescent genera, are commonly used by the natives inhabiting the 

 isles of the South Pacific for this purpose. A narrow slip of the 

 shell is firmly fastened to the back of the hook, the barb of which is 

 generally concealed by a tuft of metallic -surfaced blue feathers, pro- 

 cured either from the Korora (Aptenodytes minor) or the Kotaretare 

 (Dacelo Leachii). The hook thus prepared and attached to a stout 

 line, composed of the fibres of the Korari (Phormium tenax), which, 

 after being cleaned from the parenchymatous parts, are twisted to- 

 gether with the hand, is drawn quickly through the water by a per- 

 son paddling a small canoe ; the larger fish, believing this glittering 

 lure to be their prey, eagerly pursue it, and greedily catching at the 

 same are taken. In favourable weather a great number of fine fish 

 are soon captured by this method. Among the New Zealanders it 

 is a very favourite sport, and one that is not a little animating, when 

 several canoes are engaged. I have seen upwards of twenty small 

 canoes thus employed on a fine summer's evening, on the beautiful 

 sheet of water in the Bay of Islands. I may here mention, that 

 previous to the introduction of the Gospel among the New Zealanders, 

 their hooks were often composed of human bone; those of their 

 enemies being used for that purpose. Sometimes they formed their 

 hooks from the tough stalks and branches of Tauhinu (Pomaderris 

 ericifolia) and Mangemange (Lygodium volubile), hardening them 

 by the aid of fire. At present they invariably prefer the hooks which 

 they make from iron nails to those of our manufacture, the latter, 

 they allege, being much too brittle. 



