CoLENSo. — Beminiscences of the Ancient Maoris. 457 



events, they are a standing memorial to the well-known 

 exuberant hospitality of the ancient Maori people." 



The finest tame timii I ever saw was the property of Mr. 

 W. G. Pnckey, of the Kaitaia Clnnx-h Mission (that was in 

 1838). This bird had been in Mr. Puckey's possession several 

 years, and when it rattled off its Maori song it would also 

 inflate its body, appear bulky, and ruffle up its glossy feathers, 

 and so make itself look nearly twice its real size, and all the 

 time move up and down its perch as if with glee. Truly it 

 was a pretty sight to see and hear it. An elegant proverbial 

 saying respecting this bird I may here mention — "Me he 

 korokoro ticuii" = As eloquent as the throat of the sweet- 

 singing parson-bird. Spoken in praise of a good orator. 



A pleasing anecdote of another tiiuii may here be men- 

 tioned. When H.M.S. "Buffalo" was here in New Zealand 

 in 1834, felling k(mri--pine spars and loading tliem for the 

 Government dockyards at Home, and consequently had to 

 remain some time in the New Zealand waters, several of our 

 endemic birds were captured alive to be taken to England, 

 and among them, naturally enough, were many tuuiis. On 

 the passage Home, however, all the tuuiis died save one, and 

 that was the property of a connnon sailor on board. As the 

 ship neared England large sums were offered "Jack" by the 

 officers for his bird ; but he steadily refused them all, saying 

 (good-sailor-like) the bird was for his darling girl, Polly. 



I may also mention that among their very ancient legend- 

 ary stories is aii interesting one of an immense saurian (a 

 man-eater) that was the pet of the chiefs of that district 

 (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xi., pp. 95, ICO). 



§ VI. Of the Fine Smelling-sense and Taste op the 

 Ancient Maoris for Perfumes. 

 I have already more than once, and in former papers read 

 here before the Institute, touched on the superior powers of 

 sight of the ancient Maoris;! and it has often occurred to my 

 mind that they also possessed a very keenly developed sense 

 of smell, which was largely and quickly shown whenever 

 anything sweetly odoriferous, however fine and subtle, had 

 been used — as eau de Cologne, essence of lavender, &c. In- 

 deed, this sense was the more clearly exhibited in the use of 

 their own native perfumes, all highly odorous and collected 

 with labour. Yet this sensitive organization always appeared 

 to be the more strange when the horribly stinking smells of 



* ^Mention is also made in an interesting old story of a chief's son, in 

 quest of his father, having taught two tamed birds — a huia and a 

 kotuku — to repeat a sentence in Maori. See Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xiii., 

 p. 55. 



t Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xiv., p. G7, &c. 



