248 Transactions. 



strain on the taratnra holds the kurupae in position until the latter 

 is forced down, and free, by a rat endeavouring to pass over it through 

 the space, and so along his old-time trail. The kurupae is near the ground, 

 so that a rat cannot pass under it. When he treads on it, the pressure forces 

 it down, releasing the taratara, the lower end of which flies upwards, and the 

 upper end slips away from the rupe. Thus the ivhana is released and springs 

 upwards, drawing the looped tohe up between the two rupe. But Master 

 Kiore is right there in that loop when it is released ; hence his body is yanked 

 upwards and jammed against the rupe, there still being a certain amount 

 of strain on the loop-cord (tohe) and ivkana. The latter cannot become 

 wholly free while there is any body in the tohe large enough to stop its 

 upward passage through the two rupe. 



The strain of the whana is primarily on the aha, then on the taratara. 

 There is the upward pressure of the latter on the rupe and the side pressure 

 on the kurupae. Q.E.D. The aha passes down outside the rupe. The tohe 

 hangs loosely ; there is no strain upon it until a rat is caught and jammed 

 against the rupe. Kati. Kua marama pea ! 



No bait is used when setting these traps on the runs or tracks, but a 

 bait is used when they are set away from them, as on the feeding-grounds. 

 The bait used was the fruit of the patate tree. It was placed on the ground 

 near the trap, and on the opposite side to that from which the rats were 

 thought to be likely to come. 



When a rat was caught by the loins it was able to move to a certain 

 extent, and would endeavour to free itself by gnawing the rupe or the snare 

 loop. These hiore kai apuapu, as they were termed, should they escape, 

 would never be caught again, say my informants : they became too knowing. 



The ivaharua was a rat-trap having two entrances — a double trap, which 

 faced two ways. It w^as really two traps like the one above described, 

 erected a little distance apart. The side spaces between them were blocked 

 with little fences of upright sticks. 



The tahiti ivhakaruatapu (cf. ruatapu in Tregear's Dictionary) was a 

 rat-trap having several entrances thereto, and a snare for each. This I 

 have not seen, but the others have been constructed for my benefit by several 

 old Natives. 



When rat-trappers were setting their traps on an ara tahiti they would 

 carefully remove any leaves, &c., that had fallen on the rat-run. 



We now come to that form of rat-trap known as a pokipoki. This form 

 of trap was used to take those suspicious or cunning rats that declined to 

 enter the ordinary trap. They seemed to object to passing over the kurupae. 

 Like Brer Rabbit, they were " some cautious " and " plenty scared." 



In fixing this trap the rupe are fixed as before, but the turuturu — gene- 

 rally only two of them — are longer. They are inserted in the same manner, 

 and the upper parts, that project above the rupe, are bent back, half broken, 

 until their ends rest on the ground. The large leaves of the ivharangi tree 

 are then used as a lining for the little trap-house behind the rupe. These 

 leaves are placed over the bent-down ends of the uprights by which they are 

 supported. Other leaves are used wherewith to block up the front of the 

 trap, with the exception of the central space, where hangs the snare loop, 

 and through which the rat attempts to pass when it sees the bait within. 

 The diminutive enclosure is then covered over with some loose earth, until 

 it resembles a little mound, sloping downwards to the back end. This little 

 hut, or rua as it is termed {rua = tunnel, cave, hole, pit), is about 8 in. 

 long, and the bait is placed a few inches back from the entrance, inside. 



