428 Transactions. 



W. G, Mail', a thorough Maori scholar, says, " In all these thousands 

 of pages of Maori lore that I have written from the mouths of [Maori] 

 witnesses there is not one word about the moa." J. W. Stack says prac- 

 tically the same thing. On the other hand, a great number of writers 

 affirm that the Maori knew the moa well, and has plenty of traditions 

 touching upon its appearance, food, methods of hunting it, &c., some of 

 which are purely romances, others probably true ; but the weight of evi- 

 dence by the bulk of writers is, to my mind, in favour of the ancient period. 



In this paper it is not my intention of joining in a discussion to which 

 there seems no finality ; what I want to point out is a fact that was 

 unknown or overlooked by both the Maori students and those gentlemen 

 who gave their opinion in regard to Maori songs. The fact that they have 

 overlooked is this : In several of the very old songs and proverbs, probably 

 the oldest, the bird is known by several names— first kura-nui, second manu- 

 lohahatau, and (probably) at a later date moa. 



I have carefully looked through between eight hundred and a thousand 

 Maori waiata, karakia, oriori, and whaJcatauki (songs, incantations, lullabies, 

 and proverbs), and have found a fair number of references, from which I 

 have selected from three periods the following. The first and oldest is the 

 last section of a very fine karakia composed by a tohunga named Tuhoto- 

 ariki, who belonged to a period about one generation after the coming of 

 the fleet. This song was composed on the birth of Tutere-moana, whose 

 mother was in prolonged labour. As it almost entirely deals with the Maori 

 ideas of conception, a full translation might be considered out of place ; it is, 

 moreover, apart from the present purpose. The last verse, therefore, will 

 alone be given, also a table showing the period of the composer. As this 

 song has been handed down from father to son right from the period of the 

 migration, it proves to my mind that the moa was extinct, and recognized 

 by the Maori as such, in Tuhoto-ariki's time — that is, a few years after the 

 arrival of the canoes. Indeed, it is probable that he was a boy when the 

 fleet arrived. 



The word " manu-ioJiakatau " probably means a bird superior to all others, 

 as indicated by the following ancient proverbs : " Hopara makau rangi 

 manu-whakatau " (The finest chieftain is like the manu-whakatau — moa). 

 " Ko wai ton tamaiti ; kapa ko te manu-whakatau ? " (Is your child noble 

 like the manu-whakatau — moa ?). 



Kura-nui had a somewhat similar meaning. The usual interpretation 

 of the word " kura-nui " would be " great-red." (" Ked " to the Maori includes 

 " brown.") " Kuranga o te ao " (The redness of the morning). Also, kura 

 is applied to anything highly prized. A second meaning is a valued feather 

 used for head-dress, such as a huia or amokura feather. Kura-nui was 

 likewise used as a term of address to a high-born chieftainess. Tahurangi 

 (the highest peak on Ruapehu) was another word of address representing 

 the same high idea. Kura was also a term applied to sacred things con- 

 nected with the wliare loananga, or house of learning, in far-away Hawaiki. 



I mentioned my discovery to the Rev. T. G. Hammond, of Hawera, 

 who was exceedingly interested, and the day after our conversation sent 

 me the following note, which adds additional interest to the words : " Since 

 our talk about those waiata, I have seen an old Maori who confirms the 

 names kura-nui and manu-ivhakatau as names of the moa. I have also 

 learned that these names indicate varieties of the moa." He was aware 

 that there were great differences as shown by the remains, and this ma\^ 

 account for the word mama (race) in this connection. 



