302 Transaction s . 



" Kokopu-tuna is not really a luna-heke, for it is seldom taken in the 

 hinaki. It is usually speared lying in shelter of raupo (bulrush) or rubbish. 

 Ruahine goes down between the months of February and June. 



' The kopakopako is a swamp-eel about 2 ft. 6 in. long and 2 in. in 

 diameter, having spiny fins and being very bony right from the back of 

 the neck to the tail. It is very poor food, and is dried and stored only in 

 case of famine. 



" Another eel, called tuwerewere, has similar spines, and is also very poor 

 food. It is the last of the eels to go down-stream." 



Two other eels mentioned but not described by Te Whatahoro were 

 hau-male (small) and karaerae (about 24 in.). 



As before mentioned, none of the tuna-heke take bait, such as worms, 

 weka ^wood-hen), &c, the natives affirming that they live on water and 

 foam (kohuka). The great heke, or migration, seems to take place during 

 March, April, and May, but the natives have no record of the large eels 

 returning. The young fry go up the rivers in the spring in countless 

 numbers. I have taken them in a whitebait-net in October, but am told 

 by the natives that they continue travelling up-stream till well on into the 

 summer. 



Of the tuna-toke, or "worm-eating" varieties, often called tarehe, usually 

 taken with a hinaki baited with native worms, pigeon, or wood-hen, the 

 principal eel caught is called tuna-pa in the Whanganui district. It is said 

 to be the favourite variety of tuna-toke, and is always roasted by the rara 

 method, being considered a delicacy when so treated. The baskets are 

 placed in a favourite locality in the late afternoon and raised the follow- 

 ing morning. Often the hinaki contains 1 cwt. or even more for one 

 setting. The most I ever saw taken with baited hinaki was at Kaiwhaiki, 

 Whanganui River, in 1907, when something over 3 cwt. was netted from 

 two large hinaki in a single night. 



Tuna-iakaaka is another eel taken with tuna-pa. It is of a light-green 

 colour. It is considered inferior to tuna-pa, and requires a considerable 

 amount of boiling. It is never grilled. 



Tuna-puharakeke, the large yellowish-brown-skinned eel with which most 

 of us are more or less familiar, is also taken in the hinaki, but usually by 

 the bob (tari) made of the large native worm strung on dressed flax (muka). 

 At a small creek called Manga-weka that runs into the Moumahaki near 

 Ngutu-wera I have seen the Waitotara natives drive this eel to a narrow 

 part of the creek where a trap had been prepared. When an eel is dis- 

 turbed it seems to invariably travel down-stream. The natives therefore 

 go into the water and make all the commotion they can, working down- 

 stream, while one man stands with a deep basket, called reherehe, at the 

 narrowest part and lifts the eels as they enter, one or two at a time, and 

 quickly transfers them to a sack. While I was watching the fishing at 

 this stream about a quarter of a potato-sack of large eels was taken in two 

 hours by three men. When fishing for this eel with a hook the natives 

 use lamprey (piharau) as bait if at all procurable, as the puharakeke is very 

 greedy for this food and will take it when it refuses everything else. 



Tuna-puharakeke has a large head, small eyes with a black pupil, ring 

 of bright gold, and an outside ring of dull gold. The lower jaw protrudes 

 somewhat, giving the bull-dog appearance, and the teeth are sharp and 

 set very thickly, running back like a wedge on the roof of the mouth. 

 The under part of the head is whitish. This eel often grows to an immense 

 size. Some years ago I saw two extremely large ones taken out of a 

 hinaki near Upoko-ngaro. Their weights were respectively 46 lb. and 32 lb. 



