650 Transactions.— Miscellaneous. 



of which are dyed black. They are woven in patterns with 

 these black and white strips, and have a very neat appear- 

 ance. 



The pu-kirikiri was a basket used for holdincr seed kumara 

 when that valuable tuber was being planted. The j^ii^-tutio was 

 used for straining the fruit of the tutu, the basket being lined 

 with the feathery heads of the toetoe, or pampas grass, which 

 retained the huirua, or poisonous property of the berries. 

 The ngehingehi was a long kete used for squeezing the crushed 

 berries of the titoki, for the purpose of expressing the oil. 

 The toiki, or tukohu, was a long kete of a round shape, used 

 to contain food when steeping in water. In former times 

 large toiki were made of pirita, or supplejack, to store seed 

 kumara in when placed in the whata, or storehouse. 



Flax. 



We here give a list of varieties of this valuable fibre- 

 bearing plant, which list, however, is by no means com- 

 plete, this not being a fiax-producing district : — 



Que : This produces the best fibre. 



Pari-tanitvha : Gives a good fibre, which, however, re- 

 quires to be steeped in water so soon as it is stripped, other- 

 wise it assumes a reddish colour. After being steeped for 

 some time it is taken out and hung up to bleach. 



Wharariki : Sleeping-mats are made of this. 



Bdtdroa : A medium fibre. 



Ngutu-nui : Used (undressed) for making nets and bird- 

 snares. 



Huhi : Has a very inferior fibre. 



Tutae-manu : A very poor fibre. 



Tanedivai : The variegated flax. 



Btcatajni : He harakeke tajni. A sacred flax. Used for 

 tying the hair in former times. 



Dyes and Dyeing. 



Two very good and fast dyes were used by the weaving 

 fraternity of the whare pora. They were red and black. The 

 black is used for both dressed and undressed flax, and its use 

 is still common. The red dye is now but little used, for two 

 reasons : First, the practice of taniko is almost obsolete ; and, 

 secondly, because the natives are beginning to use European 

 dyes, which, I take it, is the death-knell of the ancient lohare 

 pora. 



Black Dye : For this purpose there are two processes 

 through which the fibre has to pass. It is first soaked in 



