240 Transactions. 



a fire which is made to give forth much smoke, the process being known as 

 ivhakapua. They were also often laid in a stream, so that the body was 

 covered with water. 



The l-ikihi, or Jcihikihi, or hihihitara, is the cicada or singing-locust. 

 Said an aged Maori to the writer, " I will give you the song of a certain 

 people of this world : those people are the kihikihi. They are an exceed- 

 ingly numerous people. During the ivaru pcdote (eighth month of Maori 

 year) those people cling to their ancestor, Tane-mahuta (settle on trees), 

 and sing lustily. Here is the song of those people : — 



"Kaore te waru nei 

 Ka pii i ail ki ^a Tane-mahuta 

 Ki tokii tupuna 



Til takere ! Tu takere ! lere nui au 

 Kohiti ko Makaro, iere au 

 Popo nunui. ]iopo roroa. ko wai e aha atu 

 Xa Tane ano au i awhi ki tua te aiorangi 

 l\a whiti mai ko te iwa 

 Ka hoki au ki raro ra ki tona kainga 

 Maua tahi ko taku taina ko Xuhe 

 I tonoa iho nei ki tona tungane, ki a Rongo 

 Hei manawa niona 

 Koia ka tumoumoutia — ha ! " 



The cicada is treated in Maori fable as the personification of slothful 

 carelessness, and the ant as the emblem of industry and forethought. 



Fable of the Ant and the Cicada. 



The pokorua (ant) said to the kihikihi (cicada), " Let us be diligent and 

 collect food during the summer, that v^^e may retain life when the winter 

 arrives." " Not so," remarked the cicada ; '' rather let us ascend the 

 trees and bask in the sun on the warm bark." Even so, the ant laboured 

 at collecting and storing food for the winter. The cicada said, " This is 

 true pleasure, to bask in the warm sitn and enjoy life. How foolish is the 

 ant, who toils below ! " But when winter came, and the warmth went out 

 of the sun, behold, the cicada perished of cold and hunger, while the ant, 

 how snug is he in his warm home underground, with abundance of food ! 



As the cicada clung to his tree, rejoicing in the warmth of summer, he 



sang, — 



He pai aha koia taku pai 



He noho noa 



Piri ake ki te peka o te rakau 



E inaina noa ake 



Ki te ra e whiti nei 



Me te whakatangi kau i aku paihau. 



The following is said to be the song sung by the industrious ant : — 



Hohoro raai e te hoa 

 Kanaka e whakaroa ara ra 

 Ka turua ta te poi)okorua 

 Rawe noa tangata ki whakahaiihau — c 

 Ki te keri i te rua mo te ua o te rangi 

 Mo te makariri wero iho i te po nei — e 

 Me te kohi mai ano i te kakano — e 

 Hai ora mo taniaroto, kia ora ai — e. 



The term purerehua (also purehua) is applied to moths generally, and 

 perhaps also to butterflies of quiet colouring. Some species of purerehua 

 were formerlv eaten by Natives. The mokoroa is a grub found in hoiihi, 

 mako, and kaiiveta trees. The mu is said to be a form of spider. 



