Best. — Food Products of Tuhoeland. 63 



The product of the gourd-plant is only eaten while young 

 and soft, before the rind becomes hard. In this stage it is 

 termed kotawa. When grown they are used to contain 

 water ; these were the water-pails of the Maori. They were 

 sometimes cut in half in order to form bowls (oko), which 

 were formerly much used. The very large ones were used to 

 contain preserved foods, birds, rats, tutu berries, &c. These 

 are called taha. 



The following names are those of different varieties of hue 

 as recognised by the Maori : — 



Kokako-ware. 



Whare-hinu. 



Ikaroa. 



We will now speak of some of the " small deer " that the 

 Children of the Mist were in the habit of eating formerly, such 

 as grubs, beetles, earthworms, &c, for all was fish that came 

 to the Tuhoean net. 



A grub called mokoroa, which is found in the houhi and 

 kai-iueta trees, was eaten. 



The small green beetle which is found on the manuka 

 bushes when in flower in summer-time was an article of 

 food. It is called kekerewai or tutaeruru.* It is also known 

 as the Manu a Behua, presumably a sort of emblematical 

 term. They were collected in quantities and pounded up, 

 then mixed with the tahtma of the rawpo plant, already 

 mentioned, cooked in a steam-oven by the process termed 

 tapora — i.e., packed in a small basket — and eaten. 



The moka is a caterpillar which settles itself on the leaves 

 of several plants, including the potato, and draws the edges of 

 the leaves in to form a shelter for itself, and then closes the 

 apertures with some whitish substance. There it remains 

 until its wings grow. It also was eaten formerly, before 

 plenty, in the form of the potato, arrived in the land. 



The anuhe is also eaten while it is in its mokoroa, or grub, 

 stage of growth. In this state it bores holes in logs and 

 ensconces itself therein, covering the mouth of the hole with a 

 sort of lid. To take them this lid is lifted and water poured 

 into the hole, when the grub climbs out and is deposited in the 

 stomach of the Potiki a Tamatea. 



The tuatara lizard was formerly eaten, but has now dis- 

 appeared from this district. Wai-o-hau and Tawhiu-au were 

 places famed for these creatures, as also was Putauaki, or 

 Mount Edgecumbe. The natives say that should a woman 

 eat of the tuatara she would be doomed, because all the tua- 

 tara would collect and attack her. 



* The latter while in its young state. 



