74 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



or eels at night — rama kokopu and rama tuna. The Tuhoean 

 ladies march forth, bare-limbed and with fish-basket (putvai 

 or tauremu) strapped round the waist, torch held in the left 

 hand and net in the right. They wade up stream, keeping a 

 keen look-out for the hapless kokopu. Now, this fish during 

 the day-time is either concealed or moving about, but at night 

 they come out into the middle of the stream, in the current 

 (ia), and there lie and sleep, with their heads up stream and 

 tails gently waving to prevent them from drifting with the 

 current. The fisher, on sighting a fish, moves carefully 

 until close by, and then quietly lowers her net (held in the 

 right hand) and moves it up close to the fish. She then 

 advances her left foot and gently touches the fish on the near 

 side. The startled fish invariably darts off in the opposite 

 direction, and hence enters the net, which is raised out of the 

 water, the fish secured and thrust into the puwai, or fish- 

 basket. Or, if a kape net is being used, the fish is allowed to 

 slip into the ngake. The act of poking the fish with the foot 

 is described by the verb kape, hence the name of the kape 

 net. 



The best time of the lunar month wherein to net kokopu is 

 the Tangaroa stage of the moon — i.e., on the hinapouri, or 

 dark nights. The fish sleep more soundly then than at any 

 other time. They do not sleep soundly on moonlight nights. 

 There is one particular night of the first moon of the nga- 

 huru (autumn) which is the best of all nights for taking 

 kokopu, for they then sleep sounder than on any other night, 

 and are even found sleeping in shoal places, half out of water, 

 but jump away when touched. 



Kokopu are taken in summer and autumn. They are said 

 not to be good eating after the first frosts appear, for they 

 then have a sickly apppearance and change colour, becoming 

 lighter or grey-looking. It is said that they are affected by 

 the frost. Also they do not sleep out in the stream during 

 the winter, but conceal themselves. 



In the autumn the kokopu go to the rapids to spawn, 

 and at that time are not found in the calm reaches (wahi 

 tomarino) of the stream. They lie concealed among the 

 stones during the day-time, and at night come out into the 

 current. Below are given the nights of the moon, as supplied 

 by Tuhoe, together with remarks concerning kokoptc fishing: — 



Whiro (kua kohiti te marama) : A good night for fishing. 



Tirea {kua alio) : A good night for fishing. 



Hoata (kua kitea) : A good night for fishing. 



Oue : A good night for fisbing. 



Okoro : Fish do not sleep sound ; a poor night for fishing. 



Tamatea-tu-tahi : Not a very good fishing-night. 



Tamatea-anana : Not a very good fishing-night. 



