236 Transactions. 



Tawhiu-au, and Mount Edgecumbe. The latter hill is known as Pu-tauaki 

 to the Maori. An old saying has it, " Ko Putauaki te maunga, he ngarara 

 tona kai.'" 



There was no superstitious feeling among the Natives in regard to the 

 tuatara and mokomoho, but it was deemed an evil omen to see any of the 

 other species of lizards. 



At the present time the tuatara seems to have been exterminated on the 

 mainland, and is in this district only found on the Rurima rocks, off Matata. 

 It is there found, say the Natives, often living in holes in the ground or 

 rocks wherein the kuia, a sea-bird, nests. Speaking of this bird, a Native 

 said, " He iro nona a te tuatara " — meaning that the bird produces, or is the 

 origin of, this singular lizard. 



At page 152 of vol. v of the " Transactions of the New Zealand Institute " 

 is an account of the Moutoki Islet of the Rurima Group, wherein Captain 

 Mair describes the haunt of the tuatara, and stat' s that two Ure-wera 

 lads who accompanied him showed no signs of superstitious fear of ^ the 

 tuatara. 



The lizard known as koeau to the Tuhoe Natives is probably the same 

 as the kaweau of other tribes. Colenso states that it was known as tuatete 

 in some districts. Local Natives describe it as being larger than the green 

 lizard {moko-kakariki), as being light-coloured, and as living in the ground 

 in winter-time ; also, that it stands high up on its legs, the under-part not 

 sagging down on the ground as with other lizards. The body is also thicker 

 than in other species. Mehaka tells me that the body of this koeau looks 

 as though it were covered with a fine fur or down, and compared its appear- 

 ance to that of a newly-born kitten. It is said to be about 9 in. in length. 

 Another Native says that it is marked he mea ivhakairo, adding that, " When 

 seen it is an evil omen ; disaster follows " {Kia kitea, he aitua, he kaupapa 

 tahuri). It is also an evil omen to see the foeces of the koeau about your 

 dwelling, or on your path when travelling, for that lizard represents the 

 spirits of your dead relatives, who thus send you a sign to join them in the 

 underworld. 



The koeau (sometimes called koea) is said to be extremely nimble, and 

 could easily escape should any person endeavour to catch it — which is, 

 however, the last thing a Native would think of attempting. If you take 

 your eye off it for a moment it will have disappeared when yovi look again. 

 It seems to have lived much on forest-trees. Tuhoean bushmen say that the 

 iro, or embryo, of the koeau was sometimes found in rua kaka — holes in trees 

 wherein the kaka parrot nested. It is a whitish or light colour at this stage. 

 The koeau grows as large as a small tuatara. and grown specimens are of a 

 reddish {puwhero) colour. 



The Native who gave the above notes added, " It is a very bad omen to 

 see a koeau. Te Rangi-ua saw one, and, observe — all his elders have died." 

 The moko-ta is said to be another name of the moko-kakariki. 

 The moko-kakariki is the common green lizard. An old Maori myth has 

 it that this lizard originates from the bird called kakariki ; that when the 

 eggs of this bird are hatched out the portion of egg-matter left in the nest 

 develops into an iro, or maggot, from which is developed the green lizard. 

 The mokomoko is a small dark-hued lizard with a long tail. Buller 

 gives the scientific name of this species as Tiliqua zealandica in the " Trans- 

 actions of the New Zealand Institute," vol. ix, page 319. 



The moko-tapiri, also known as moko-papa and ngarara-papa, is said to 

 be found in forest country, in holes in trees, &c. A carved representation 



