488 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



Island, the warp- strands being close together — about seven to 

 the inch — and the woof-cables at about the usual distance. 

 The method of working the woof is shown on Plate LIL, 

 fig. 2. ISiow, the most valued robes of the Maori in olden time 

 were adorned with narrow strips of the skin of the dog with 

 the hair attached. The strips on the borders of the mat were 

 fastened at one end or at the middle, and hung loosely, form- 

 ing a handsome fringe ; those on the body of the mat were 

 placed along a warp-strand, and were fastened down by the 

 woof-cables, and kept in position. 



In the mat under notice the upper and lower edges had 

 had a fringe of strips of dogskin, with black, reddish-brown, 

 and white hairs, twisted in ; but the body of the mat was 

 covered with thin carefully-cut strips, 4in., 5in., or 6in. long, 

 of birdskins. Little indication was left of the plumage on 

 these dried and perished strips, but Dr. Parker, the Curator 

 of the Otago Museum, after a careful microscopical examina- 

 tion, pronounces the strips that he examined to have been 

 cut from the skin of the green parroquet (Platyccrcus) . 



To give an idea of the amount of work requisite to com- 

 plete this cloak (the fragment which remains measures 4ft. 

 by 5ft.), I counted the number of strips of skin in a part 

 where they are still pretty perfect, and I find that in 2-1-in. 

 (65mm.) there are nine parallel strips of birdskin, with eight 

 warp-threads showing between the strips, and so well put in 

 that they appear to run continuously from the top to the 

 bottom of the mat. There are no "bias" seams visible: 

 these are invariably found in more modern mats, and are 

 intended to shape it to fit the shoulders more comfortably. 



The other details of structure are less important, and are 

 probably individual peculiarities. Sewn on to the upper por- 

 tion of this mat, at a place where it was much worn, was a 

 very thick and warm flax mat, quite plain, evidently for addi- 

 tional warmth to the shoulders. 



If the whole of this mat was covered with the green 

 feathers of the parroquet it must have been a very beautiful 

 object, and rivalling the feather mantles of the Hawaiians and 

 Peruvians. I think it probable, however, that other birds 

 may have been used, as the thickness of the strips of skin 

 seems to vary. 



