Best. — Maori Forest Lore. 469 



he is desirous of taking. The striking-stick is held resting against the perch 

 pole, and when a bird alights on the latter the fowler strikes it down with a 

 vigorous sweep of his stick, which runs along the side of the perch. 



As for the tutu mode of taking the koko, it is the same as for the kal^a. 

 save that the mutu or perch used is smaller, and has sometimes some light - 

 coloured moss or lichen attached to it in order to increase its resemblance 

 to a dry tree-branch. The tahei method has been described. As for the 

 maiere, or spear, the koko is taken in this manner at times when it cannot 

 be attracted by the call-leaf, as is the case when it is feeding on the berries 

 of the make. The funa wai (water-spring) is another striking method. 

 The fowler selects a pool of water or a stream in the forest whereat these 

 birds are in the habit of drinking. In the case of a creek, he leaves a suit- 

 able pool, and covers the rest of the water for some distance with fronds 

 of tree-ferns, so that the birds will come to drink at the space left open for 

 them. A pole is stuck in the ground so as to lean slantingly over the water- 

 hole, and near the pole a rude shelter conceals the fowler. The birds come 

 early in the morning to drink, and alight on the sloping pole, from which 

 they are struck down by the fowler's stick. It will be observed that in all 

 these striking methods the pole serves two purposes — not only is it a perch 

 for the birds, but also a guide for the stick {hauhau nianu) when the blow 

 is delivered. In making the strike, the stick is run along the pole perch. 



About the whakamoe method of taking the koko : This was practised on 

 frosty winter nights, and was a mere taking by hand, the birds being so be- 

 numbed by the cold that they made no attempt to escape. Fowlers go forth 

 into the forest in the evening in order to locate the roosting-places of the 

 koko (tui). When birds are so detected, the searchers back away quietly 

 so as not to alarm them. The next thing done is to mark a trail that may 

 be followed by the fowlers later on in the night. This marking is effected 

 by the pawhati — that is, by breaking down tops of shrubs and ends of 

 branches — not breaking them completely off, but leaving them hanging. 

 Late in the night the men return to take the birds. Two persons usually 

 go together. One says, " Me haere taua ki te rama i ta taua whakamoe." 

 They set forth, taking a torch with them. On arriving at the roosting-place 

 one man remains on the ground and holds the torch, the other ascends the 

 tree and climbs to where the birds are roosting. He then simply takes the 

 birds off their perch by hand, and puts them in a basket he has brought 

 with him. The birds, say my informants, do not awake or become startled. 

 They are very fat, and benumbed with cold — affected by the frost. The 

 intense cold paralyses them. Ka tikona e te huka. Should a bird fall to the 

 ground, it will cry out, but cannot fly. The man below will secure it. 



In some parts a trail is marked by means of laying down fronds of the 

 silver tree-fern (kaponga) or leaves of rangiora or tvharangi, the underneath 

 side of all these being placed uppermost, as they are white, and can be seen 

 at night, very often without the help of a torch. 



When using a call-leaf, fowlers carried a number of such leaves with 

 them. They were carried in the waistbelt termed a tatua pupara. 



The Pewa. 



This was another bird-taking implement, somewhat resembUng a mutu. 

 It was used for taking the tihe. when that bird was fat, in the winter season. 

 It seems to have been hooked on to any tree-branch, and not on hiwi fixed 

 by man, as in the case of the mutu kaka. A light rod, termed ti haere and 



