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Transactions. 



names, but unfortunately, owing to these names varying in different locali- 

 ties, it is impossible to classify them at all thoroughly by Maori nomen- 

 clature. One point seems, however, to be established by them to my mind, 

 and that is that some of the species or varieties migrate and others do not. 

 The eels that travel to the ocean annually are classed under the general 

 name tuna-heke (see fig. 1), and the migration itself is known as whaturoa. 

 It is for these that the pa-tuna are built, and the natives know to within 

 a few days when the eels can be taken. They are never caught with bait, 



Fig. 1. — Outline of head of tuna-heke (tuiia-ngahwru). 



and seldom seen except when they are travelling down the river. The word 

 heke implies to migrate or descend. These eels are subdivided into two or 

 three (possibly more) varieties. 



The eels that are caught with bait and that remain in one place through- 

 out the year are called tuna-toke (see fig. 2) — that is, the eel that takes the 

 worm as bait. This eel also embraces several varieties. It is often taken 



Fig. 2. — Outline of head of tuna-toke (luna-pvharakeke). 



with a baited hinaki, but even in streams where it abounds it is an excep- 

 tion to capture one in a pa-tuna. Occasionally they are washed down the 

 race, but very seldom. Among over eight hundred tuna-heke that I saw 

 taken from the Moumahaki pa-tuna last season there was only one tuna-toke 

 of the variety called puharakeke, although the stream was literally full of 

 them. 



It seems to me that this name tuna-toke has long been known to the 

 Maori. Upwards of twenty generations ago there lived a certain Whanganui 

 ancestor (so says legend) who adzed out a famous canoe under the water. 

 He used to dive down to his work every day and remain under water till 

 the evening, when the eels, swimming about his legs, gave warning that 

 it was time to cease work. Owing to the exceptional feat performed by 

 this man he was called Tama-tuna, otherwise " The son of an eel." This 

 man's eldest daughter was named Tuna-toke, and sometimes Hine-toke — 

 " Daughter of the worm." 



