234 Transactions. 



among Tuhoe it is used to denote a young tree, a seedling (he 

 wana karaka) ; while mahuri and kahuri denote a sapling — i.e., 

 of a larger growth than a wana. Huri is used for " seed," as 

 seed potatoes, seed taro, &c. Pua means '"seed" — apparently 

 small seeds only — but is sometimes used for " flower." Puawai 

 is also applied to flowers. A large seed, as those of the gourd 

 and pumpkin, or a kernel, as those of the tana, titoki, &c, are 

 termed kakano* Kernels are also termed iho. Fruit, berries, 

 are styled hua, which is also used for egg and the roe of a fish : 

 hua manu, a bird's egg, or " bird-fruit" — an expressive term. 



As we have already seen, the flowers of a tree sometimes bear 

 a special name, distinct from that of the tree that bears them. 

 The blossoms of the reivarewa tree are termed rewa, those of the 

 tawari are known as whakou, &c. 



In his work, " Evolution of the Idea of God," Grant Allen 

 states that primitive man, the genial savage, would not possess 

 the faculty of perception to the extent of perceiving that plants 

 spring from seeds. I would much like to meet that primitive 

 man. He would be a curiosity, and very primitive withal. 

 For those are just the things that the savage does notice — the 

 operations of nature. Were he not so to do he w r ould not be a 

 primitive man for long, nor any other kind of man, for that 

 matter. 



The pollen of trees is termed hae ; that of some plants, as 

 rarauhe, is nehu or puehu. The rains of January, which cause 

 the pollen of trees to disappear, are termed hikuwai. 



The Natives deem the abundant flowering of certain trees 

 as a sign of a fruitful season. The fourth month of the Maori 

 year, which year begins about the middle of June, is marked by 

 the flowering of the puahou, or the appearance of its berries ; 

 the fifth month, by the flowering of the kowhai ; the sixth 

 month, by the rewa blossom ; the seventh month, by the 

 blooming of the kahika ; and the eighth month, by the flower- 

 ing of the tawhiwhi. Thus it will be seen that the flowering of 

 trees served as time-markers to the Maori. Thus, when intend- 

 ing to burn off a patch of rarauhe fern, in order to prevent the 

 growth of scrub, and to render the edible rhizomes a desirable 

 white colour, the Natives would do so when the hinau and 

 whakou blossoms appeared. If they waited until the rata and 

 korukoru blossoms came the fern • roots would be brown, and 

 the edible matter of inferior quality. Also, the kekerewai, an 

 edible beetle ((). appears on the manuka when that tree blossoms, 

 and was then sought for. It is not seen in the winter. The 

 flowering of certain trees, the dying of leaves of raupo, &c, the 



* Kakano is also used to denote tlio grain of timber. 



