304 Transactions. 



the stony bed, they saw a tuhoro swim past. They immediately gave up 

 their work and started again on Te Aute-mutu Rapid, lower down the 

 river. All the natives dread catching this fish, for should a Maori be sick 

 or any near relative be ill at the time when a tuna-tuhoro is caught death 

 always follows. There is no alternative : the patient simply must die. 

 Of course, this eel is never eaten. The effect is cpiite bad enough if it is 

 simply seen or caught. It seems to be scarce, for Patonga, the old Wai- 

 totara native from whom I obtained most of these notes, had never seen 

 one, though, of course, he knew of their dread power. I have been more 

 fortunate. During the summer of 1916 a fisherman dragging a net in the 

 lower Whanganui meshed a small one, about 18 in. in length. The natives 

 who were assisting immediately raised such a commotion that the man took 

 notice of it, and eventually brought it to the Whanganui Museum. I was 

 secretary of that institution at the time, but had not thought of writing 

 on eels, so took but little notice of it. It was, however, without slime, and 

 seemed capable of inflating the throat, thus causing the head to appear 

 larger than its natural size. This specimen was placed in spirits, so that 

 it can be examined if thought a new variety. It is said that it is a very 

 fast swimmer. 



Mr. Percy Smith tells me that this eel is known to the Kaipara natives as 

 tuoro, and that it is looked upon in that place as being somewhat mythical 

 and harmful to man. It is said to be found in the lakes on the North 

 Head, and was described by the natives as being very large, almost as big 

 as a man's body, with a great lump on its tail. It was supposed to come 

 ashore and chase men, who could only escape by passing over ground where 

 the fern had been burnt. So much for Maori beliefs ! 



I was in the Upper Ohura district a short time ago, and when there 

 heard some bushmen speaking of an eel with hair or bristles on its back 

 that is to be found in some of the creeks near the Ohura Township. I was 

 unable to see any natives at that time, but shortly afterwards met an old 

 Maori at Taumarunui who recognized my description as tuna-piki, or the 

 feathered tuna. Further, as I had heard that Mr. W. K. Williams, of 

 Ohura, had seen the eel, I wrote to him and obtained the following reply :— 



" Some years ago, when passing a Maori pa, I saw quite a number of 

 eels hung on poles in front of a Maori ivhare, and upon examination 1 

 noticed these eels had a sort of bristle upon their backs, starting about 

 4 in. behind the ears and terminating at the tail. Their ears were about 

 f in. long, shaped exactly like a pig's. The ears were slightly forward and 

 up, and gave the eel a most peculiar appearance. The eels varied in size 

 from 18 in. up to 5 ft. Their colour was dark — almost black — at fin, along- 

 back, and getting a little lighter towards the belly. The belly was of a 

 cream or pale yellow. ... I understand they are caught with both 

 hinaki and line at the headwaters of the Ohura, in a stream called Waikaka. 

 The Maoris stated they were plentiful." 



The mud eel is called by the Maoris tuna-kohau, and the salt-water or 

 conger eel tuna-koiero, koiro, and ngoiro. 



In some districts an eel called kaueri (?) is largely taken by spearing, 

 but the Whanganui River does not lend itself to this mode of fishing. 

 I remember as a boy seeing native women spearing in the Turakina River, 

 and I also remember finding a bundle of spears in a hollow cabbage-tree 

 near a large swamp at Turanga-waikanae, below the Bulls racecourse, some 

 forty years ago. The spears were made of several hardwood points lashed 

 to a handle, and were called matarau. Although this mode of taking fish 

 has fallen into disuse in the Whanganui lagoons, I am told it is still common 



