Best. — Maori Forest Lore. 



247 



Tahiti hiore. — The two rupe are first placed in position. These are two 

 pliant wands. One is forced into the ground at both ends, so as to form 

 a small archway across the rat-track. ' The other is erected close to it, in a 

 similar way, but is twisted round the first one so as to leave a narrow space 

 between them at the top, through which space the two main turutvru, or 

 uprights, are passed, as also the loop snare. These rwpe are usually pieces 

 of 'pirita (supplejack, a climbing-plant). Twining one round the other 

 prevents them' from parting or becoming too loose. The two main uprights 

 (tunituru) are thrust down through the uppermost space between the two 

 rupe, one on either side of the central opening or passage, which passage 

 is on the rat-run. The other uprights are simply stuck in the ground out- 

 side but close against the rupe, and are placed close enough together to 

 prevent a rat from passing between them. The only space through which 

 a rat can pass is the central one on the track, in which space the snare loop 

 is suspended. The whana, a strong pliant rod, usually a piece of supple- 

 jack, has one end thrust securely into the ground, and to the other end is 

 attached the tohc or looped ^cord. This small cord is not formed into a 



1. Aho. 2. Tohe. 3. Ku 



rnpae. 



Tahiti Kiore. 

 4. Taralara. 5. Tunituru. 



6. Rupe. 7. Whaim. 



running noose like that of a bird-snare, but has both ends attached to the 



ivharia or spring stick, so that the rat is caught in the bight of the cord. 



Also, attached to the end of the whana by means of a string is the taratara, 



a piece of small stick about i in. in length, and with which the trap is set. 



The string {aho) or cord is fastened to the taratara about ^ in. or | in. from 



the end of the latter. 



In order to set the trap, the operator bends down the tvhana and passes 



the tohe or looped (doubled) cord down between the two rujje until that 

 cord nearly touches the ground, the loop being arranged so 

 that the cord hangs close to the two main uprights on either 

 side and does not obstruct the passage. The trapper then, 

 while holding down the spring stick with one hand, takes the 

 taratara in the other, and places it in a vertical position at one 

 side of the open space, near the upright. The projecting upper 

 part of the taratara is placed on the opposite side of the rupe 

 to that on which the securing-cord {aho) is, so that the rupe 

 •rests in the crotch at X. The trapper then holds the taratara 

 in a vertical position while he slips the kurupae, a small, short 



stick, between the lower end thereof and the two main uprights. The 



J 



