434 Transactions. 



were the two most important species of forest-birds from the Native point 

 of view, because they furnished the most food for man. 



Birds were most strictly preserved in former times — that is, no person 

 was allowed to take them out of season save under extraordinary circum- 

 stances. To trespass on lands of another tribe, subtribe, or even familv 

 group spelled swift trouble and ofttimes death to the offender. Both fish 

 and birds were sometimes specially protected by means of the custom termed 

 rahui. There were two forms of rahui, one being a mild form of prohibition 

 imposed by the owners of the land. To disregard this was not particularly 

 dangerous to life, unless possibly the trespasser encountered an owner of 

 the land while poaching. This form of rahui was not in itself dangerous. 

 But another form was so, because it was accompanied by spells of black 

 magic that would slay a poacher as surely as does the spear or club. In 

 some cases a material token of the rahui would be set up by the stream 

 or in the forest ; in others no such token would be employed, but the pro- 

 hibition would simply be published by word of mouth, together with a 

 description of the prohibited area — perhaps a part of a certain river, or the 

 lands of a certain family group or clan. The more severe form of rahui 

 was established by a tohunga (adept, priest, shaman) by means of a reli- 

 gious rite performed by him at a sacred fire specially generated for the 

 purpose. He recited certain spells of black magic to endow the material 

 token of the rahui with power to destroy poachers. A description of this 

 custom and rite may be found at page 83 of vol. xiii, "Journal of the 

 Polynesian Society." 



The act of violating a rahui is termed kairaniua. Of a stream or forest 

 so protected it is said, " Kua tu rahuitia te wai," or land, as the case may 

 be. In some cases mana tangata, or personal prestige, was sufficient to 

 enforce and uphold a rahui ; if not, then black magic would be employed. 



Poaching, or taking game on lands to which the trespasser has no claim 

 or right, is known as hai haumi, and kai haumi is a serious crime, or was so 

 in former times. Travellers were sometimes guilty of this offence, and 

 were in many cases attacked by the people of the land. But if such 

 travellers informed the owners of their act and handed over some of the 

 game to them, they would then be allowed to proceed in peace, for by so 

 doing they blunted the edge of the offence and acknowledged the rightful 

 owners. An oft-quoted ancestor is one Tamatea-kai-haumi, who is said 

 to have been addicted to poaching game. He is said to have been also 

 known as Tamatea-mai-tawhiti, and is supposed to have come to New 

 Zealand on the Nukutere canoe. 



If feathers were seen lying on a trail or in the forest, it would be known 

 that a poacher was at work. He would be pursued, and slain if caught, 

 unless a relative to the pursuers. Or some of the feathers would be taken 

 to a master of black magic, who would use them as a medium between his 

 spells and the victim, and so destroy the Tcai haumi villain. Those scattered 

 feathers were a sign of a poacher's presence, because no old-time Maori would 

 permit any feathers of trapped or speared game to so lie on the ground, be 

 he never so far in the forest — that is, on his own lands. For, were he to 

 do so, the birds would desert those lands aiid migrate to other parts. Old 

 Tutakangahau, a man of much curious knowledge, and with all the lore of 

 Tane at his fingers' ends, said, " The feathers of birds were always buried. 

 If they were not so disposed of, then the birds would leave the district. 

 When feathers were seen lying about bird-troughs, or any snaring-place, they 

 were carefully collected and buried. Feathers are tafu. If a dead bird 



