Best. — Maori Forest Lore. 



263 



and slew all those folk, except Hine-porete, who flew up on to a tree, a mata. 

 She cast her weapon, a patu mata, and killed Tutunui, thus avenging the 

 death of her offspring." Which ends this story. 



There were three methods of taking the parrakeet — viz., the koputa, 

 the tanga kalcariki, and the puaka. 



The koputa : A rough shed was built at the edge of a forest. Saplings 

 or branches were used, butt ends stuck in the ground, the tops bent over 

 and tied together to form a roof. Branchlets, fern-fronds, &c., used to 

 cover the framework. The front of the shed was left open. Inside the 

 sheds kurupae or perches were placed for the birds to settle on. These 

 perches were placed near the back of the shed. Pegs or short stakes (turu- 

 turu) were stuck in the ground near the perches, and to these pegs were 

 secured maimoa porete, or decoy-birds, to attract the flock. These decoys 

 do not seem to have been kept at the hamlet, as were kaka, but each trip 

 a fowler would first procure a few birds for this purpose by means of the 

 lure-call. The fowler procures some fronds of paraharaha, a fern, which he 

 carefully arranges in a certain manner and ties to the end of a long stick. 

 Upon seeing a flock of parrakeets {pokai porete) in the distance, he takes 

 the above pole and waves it about, which actions attract the flock, and 

 it soon settles upon trees near the shed. The fowler then conceals himself 

 just outside and near the back of the shed. He lures the porete by placing 

 the side of his hand to his mouth and imitating the peculiar jerky sounds 

 made by these birds when flitting from tree to tree. The birds soon begin 

 to enter the shed and settle upon the perches, where they intently watch 

 the decoy-birds, which are on the pegs in front of and a little below the 

 level of the perches. The fowler has by his side a number of short sticks, 

 each with a reti, or running noose, attached to one end. When he sees that 

 a number of birds have settled on the perches, the fowler takes up one of the 

 sticks, thrusts it through the frail wall of the shed, and slips the noose over 

 the head of a bird. He recovers arms, secures bird, and takes up another 

 stick, until all are used. He then disengages the nooses, sets them anew, 

 and continues his snaring. 



Kaka were sometimes taken by means of the tari, or noose fixed on a rod. 



Tanga porete, or tanga kalcariki : This is sometimes termed the pae 

 method, but differs from the pae used in taking kaka, koko, &c., and is like 

 that used in taking the pihipihi. Two upright poles are stuck firmly in the 



1. Poi'. 



Tanga Pokete. 

 2. Bongohua. 3. Cord, tuu maimoa. 



earth, and to these a horizontal cross-rod is lashed. This serves as a perch 

 for the birds, and is termed a rongohua. Underneath the cross-piece a cord 

 is stretched across and tied to the pou, or uprights. Several porete are so 

 tied to this string that they can struggle to free themselves, and by so 

 struggling, and flapping their wings, attract the free birds. Thus they 

 serve as decoys, and soon the birds begin to alight upon the rongohua. The 



