246 Transactions. 



The nra kiore, or rat-tracks, made by these small creatures to their 

 feeding-gromids always ran along the summits of spurs, ridges, or ranges, 

 and were often many miles in length, though it is unknown as to how 

 far a colony of rats would ramble from their abode in search of food. 

 They used the same tracks year after year. These tracks are sometimes 

 termed ara tahiti ( = taivhiti), or trapping tracks or runs, because the traps 

 for taking the kiore were set on them. These tracks or runs were about 

 3 in. in width, and were smooth, and padded by myriads of little feet : 

 thus they were quite bare, and void of vegetation. The traps — of which 

 more anon — were set every 3 ft. or i ft. along the run. A rat-run might be 

 owned by many different persons, and long ones by different hajm or sub- 

 tribes, each person interested having a right to a well-defined portion of 

 the same. Poaching on another's portion was not permitted, and would 

 cause trouble, possibly fighting. As a general rule, among the Tuhoe Tribe 

 these rat-trail privileges were acquired or retained by the female members 

 of a family or gens, the males getting the toroniiro trees (on which birds were 

 snared). When the rats, in passing along their runs, bit off leaves of vege- 

 tation and dropped them on the track, then it was known that they were 

 in good condition, fat and plump ; hence the trappers would get to work, 

 and the rat season was opened in due form. An experienced trapper, on 

 observing the above-described signs, would say, " Kua whariki te ara kiore " 

 (The rat-run is covered). " Na, kua momona te kiore " (Then it was known 

 that the rats were fat). 



An ancient saying is, " Kua kitea a Matariki, a kua maoka te hinu " (When 

 Matariki is seen, then game is in good condition). This, I believe, applies 

 to the heliacal rising of Matariki (the Pleiades), which would mean that the 

 game-trapping season opened early in June. 



It would appear that the Maori noted the heliacal rising of stars as signs 

 of divers events, &c. " The appearance of the Pleiades on the eastern 

 horizon just before sunrise, in June, marked the commencement of the 

 Maori year," says Tutakangahau. The appearance of Whanui on the 

 eastern horizon in the morning was the signal for lifting the kutnara crop. 

 Whanui is the star Vega. 



Kiore were trapped on the dark nights of the moon. If the traps were 

 set on moonlight nights, then the rats sprung the snares and escaped {ka 

 turupanatia mja tahiti e te kiore). 



In Taylor's " Te Ika a Maui " may be found some notes concerning the 

 kiore maori. He gives two of the karakia, or charms, used, one of which 

 is a taitai, but the translations thereof are doubtful. He also states that 

 the hunting-parties cut tracks for the rats, which tracks were made in a per- 

 fectly straight line up hill and down, however rough the country, other- 

 wise the rats would not follow them. I cannot get any old Maoris to agree 

 to this statement, and hence do not believe it. The kiore made its own 

 runs, which were assuredly not straight, for they followed the tops of ridges, 

 with all their dips, angles, and sinuosities, trappers made no tracks for 

 the rats. 



The kiore maori was taken in two ways in Tuhoeland — by tahiti (trap or 

 snare) and by the torea (or pit). Of these, the tahiti appears to have been 

 the most frequently used. The most general form of this word is tawhiti, 

 l)ut Tuhoe always use the form above given, even as they use hitau for 

 whitau. Williams gives " Tawhiti = a snare, trap." Another form of rat- 

 trap was termed a pokipoki. These two forms we will endeavour to 

 describe. 



