496 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



historical facts — concerning the ancient New Zealand dog he 

 would have followed the intimation I had volunteered to give 

 him concerning it in a letter I wrote to him in December, 

 1890, in reply to his inquiry.* For had he done so I venture 

 to think he would not have written another paper on that 

 subject. Of course, in my so saying, I suppose he had not 

 seen my paper on the New Zealand dog, therein so exhaustively 

 brought forward by me ; if he had, however, done so, then he 

 seems to have wilfully ignored all the certain knowledge con- 

 cerning it, in his redundant zeal to establish a "fad" of his 

 own. 



Professor Max Midler very justly and eloquently observes 

 in his late lectures at Glasgow (which is highly applicable 

 here), " What is of immense importance in all scientific dis- 

 cussions is the spirit of truth. To make light of a fact that 

 has been established, to ignore intentionally an argument 

 which we cannot refute, to throw out guesses which we know 

 we cannot prove — nay, which we do not even attempt to prove 

 — is simply wrong, and poisons the air in which true science 

 can breathe and live." (" The Gifford Lectures," 1891, 

 p. 81.) 



And, as I happen to have taken a copy of my note to Mr. 

 White (referred to above), I give it here verbatim, from which 

 it will be seen how I had put him on his guard, as well as 

 kindly indicated the right direction : — 



" Napier, 25th December, 1890. 



" Me. Taylor White : Dear Sir, — Your note of the 18th 

 instant reached me here just as I had returned from Danne- 

 virke, where I had been some time sojourning. Writing, as 

 you remark, at this time, I would reciprocate your kind wishes, 

 and sincerely wish you all the compliments of the season. 



" Be your inquiry as to the meaning of the Maori word 

 ' mokokuri,' I have but little to say (in a note). It means an 

 inferior, or commoner, or coarser, or less-elaborate kind of 

 face-tattoo. Kuri is added adjectively to several words in 

 Maori, generally meaning as above (having nothing to do with 

 the kuri = dog) — much, indeed, like our English use of the 

 term ' horse ' — as in horse - chestnut, horse-mint, horse- 

 mussel, horse-mackerel, horse-laugh, &c. 



" From your note I gather you are going to write again on 

 the Maori dog. I fear I shall run the risk of displeasing you 

 in saying, ' Think twice before you do so,' or you will greatly 

 err. At all events, first read my exhaustive paper on that 

 subject in vol. x., Transactions New Zealand Institute. 



* He copies, indeed, a small portion of my note, on an entirely dif- 

 ferent subject (paper, p. 542). 



