238 Transactions. 



made among the branches of that tree, and a lizard was kept at its base. 

 Hence the place was called Te Rua-ngarara (the reptile's den)." 



Lizards were often selected or looked upon as the form of incarnation 

 of a god or demon. Thus the god Peketahi, of whom Te Purewa was the 

 human medium, appeared in the form of a lizard. Another such demon, 

 known as Te Hukita, appeared in the form of a mohomoho ; while Tamarau, 

 a deified ancestor who possessed the power of flying, is represented by a 

 koeau. 



Insects and other " Small Deer." 



The generic terms for insects are manumanu and ngarara. In Native 

 myth they are said to be the offspring of Punga, of whom we have already 

 spoken — albeit some insects, &c., are credited with having other and ap- 

 parently more immediate progenitors. Thus the mosquito and sandfly are 

 said to be the grandchildren of Te Hekapona and Te Monehu, while the 

 purerehua sprang from Fu-te-hue (origin of the hue, or gourd), the hihihihi 

 from Hikawaru, the pmvereirere from Katipo, the ngaro from Moenga-nui, 

 its offspring being Iroiro (maggots). Earthworms originated from Pane- 

 wharu, whose younger relative was Mokoroa ; the next born was Whiti, and 

 the next Tea. The enemy of these was Tangaroa (fish). The anuhe sprang 

 from Nuhe. It was Nuhe who saw the fine markings of the tawatawa 

 (mackerel), a descendant of Tangaroa, and forcibly took some of those 

 markings for himself : hence the fine appearance of the anuhe. These 

 marks are compared to certain patterns of tattooing. The anuhe and 

 toronu are said to descend from the heavens — probably because their 

 origin is not clear to the Maori — when they appear in great numbers on 

 kumara plants. 



We give below an incomplete list of Native names of insects, earthworms. 

 &c., as collected in this district : — 



Anuhe; syi\., hotete. A sj^ecies of caterpillar. 



Awheto. Cordiceps robertsii. 



HIJiue. Hawk-moth. 



Hiihu. ? Prionoplus reticularis. 



Kahukum. Butterfly. 



Kapowai. Dragon-fly. 



Katipo. A sjiider. 



Kekeremju. A bug or beetle. 



Kekereivai. Small green beetle seen on manuka. 



Kihikihi. Cicada. 



Kikihi. Cicada. 



Kowhiiiwhiti. Grasshopper. 



Kuharu. An earthworm. 



Kurekure. An earthworm {Tokea esculenia, Benham). 



Manumanu. Generic terra for insects. 



Moka. Caterpillar. 



Moko-roa. A grub found in houhi, mako, and kaiweta trees. 



Moko-tawliana. A caterpillar. 



Mu. Probably a species of spicier. 



Namu. Sandfly. 



Nyarara. Generic term for insects, lizards, &c. 



Xijaro. Genei-ic term for flies. 



Ngata. Slug, leech. 



Noke ; syn., take. Generic term for earthworms. 



Noke-tai. A species of earthworm. 



Ngoru. A species of earthworm. 



Ngutara. Cordiceps robertsii. 



Pakaurere. Winged grasshopper. 



Papaka. A species of beetle. 



Fepe The huhu at one stage of development. ? .Moth. 



