Best. — Maori Forest Lore. 257 



bottom, so that the nest moved with the water but did not drift away. 

 For an illustration of a nest, see " Transactions of the New Zealand In- 

 stitute," vol. ii, page 50, and description thereof at page 74. This bird is 

 said to have the power of remaining a long time under water {he manu ruku 

 roa). (See note under Kamana.) 



This bird does not seem to have frequented the rivers of this district ; 

 the currents thereof are probably too swift to please it. 



In vol. iii of this journal Mr. Travers has a paper on the habits of the 

 kaha. 



Kahu {Circus gouldi ; Hawk). — This bird is still common in this dis- 

 trict. In former times it was sometimes caught by Natives in a trap termed 

 a titara kahu, or tahiti kahu. When Taka-moana, of Te Kareke, was slain 

 at 0-pokere his enemies utilised his liver as a bait for a hawk-trap. Oc- 

 casionally a white hawk was seen in former times, but very rarely. They 

 were called kahu korako (albino hawks), and this term was often applied 

 to a chief. An old saying was, " Me haere i rare i te kahu korako " (Always 

 travel with a white hawk) ; to which the following is sometimes added : 

 " kia kai ai koe i te kai, kia whiwhi i te taonga " (that you may fare well 

 and receive presents). When a chief visited a hamlet he was regaled on the 

 best food, and often received presents, his companions coming in for a share 

 of the good fare. 



John White has a singular remark at page 65, vol. ii, of his " Ancient 

 History of the Maori " : " The kahu was a child of Mahuika, and a god of 

 fire : hence the colour of its feathers." 



Kaka {Nestor meridionalis ; Brown Parrot). — The kah-a and the kereru 

 (pigeon) are looked upon as the two most important of forest birds by the 

 Maori, inasmuch as they formed one of their principal food-supplies, being 

 taken in great numbers in former times. 



The origin or parent of birds in Maori myth is Tane-mataahi. This 

 applies especially to the kereru and koko {tui) birds : while the origin or 

 parent of the kaka was one Tu-mataika ; hence these birds are sometimes 

 spoken of as the " children of Tu-mataika." " Kaore e rikarika te tama a 

 Tu-mataika e rere nei " (How numerous are the children of Tu-mataika 

 flying yonder !) — said of a flock of kaka. 



The following names are applied to the kaka bird : tarariki, tatarariki, 

 tatariki. These names are applied to the leader of a flock of kaka. Each 

 flock of these birds, say my informants, has a leader, generally a small- 

 sized bird : hence the riki. This bird may also be termed a kaka whaka- 

 taka fokai, or " flock-assembling kaka.'''' This bird keeps on the outer 

 side, or edge, of the flock, and seems to shepherd them — keeps them within 

 bounds, and prevents straggling. It also calls the flock from one whakarua, 

 or feeding-ground, to another, and keeps flying around the outside of the 

 flock. Only one such leader will be found with a flock. A tarariki makes 

 the best of decoy-birds, and is said to be a female bird. 



Kaka kura : This term is applied to a very rare bird, a kaka that has 

 very brilliant plumage, bright-red feathers — unlike ordinary birds of the 

 species, which are of sombre plumage of a brown colour, not possessing so 

 many showy red feathers. The kaka kura are said not to travel with any 

 flock, but such a bird keeps aloof from others, with the exception of one 

 companion, a bird of ordinary plumage. These kura are very rare : only 

 one such will be found in a district. They are sometimes termed ariki, 

 or leaders. Sometimes two ariki will be found in a district — one kura, 

 or red, and one of white plumage, an albino bird, termed a kaka korako. 

 9— Trans. 



