72 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



B. P. — " My red feathers are my own indeed ; I fetched them from the 



sacred isle, Tinirau* gave them to me." 

 G. P. — " Torete, kaureke ; torete, kaureke." 



" 0, thou big brown parrot, still flying away there ! 

 Tell me whither art thou flying ? 

 Ai't thou flying away to Poutahi ? 

 Art thou flying to Puke whanake ? 

 To carry tidings away to Te Iripa ? " 

 B. P. — " Verily, I will not reply (do, or say anything) to thee." 

 G. P. — " Here am I standing in the preserve, causing 

 Aching-legs, made by Tokoahu ! 

 Here am I both listless and tired out. Alas ! 

 The weary doings of the hot summer days I 

 Torete, kaureke ; torete, kaureke ! " 



(See Grey's " Poetry," p. 74.) 

 Notes. — Torete, etc. This is the common cry of the green parrot, ac- 

 cording to the Southern Maoris of the North Island, (especially when 

 engaged in quietly talking to itself, as in confinement), hence, too, in some 

 parts it has obtained the name of Torete. 



Poutahi, etc. Those proper names may be all figurative, and used by 

 the little bird tauntingly : Poi(taJd = one pole, or perch, of the big parrot, 

 on which it too will soon be fastened. 



Puke ivhaiiake = hi[l, or grove, of cabbage trees, (Cordi/line sp.), on the 

 fruit of which it feeds. 



Te Iri2}a = the (one bird) hanging in a village— may mean, the mate or 

 companion bird of the big parrot already caught and made a prisoner, and 

 there being fettered with a cord by its leg to a pole or stick, it sometimes 

 hangs head downwards from its perch in its useless strivings and fluttermgs. 

 I suspect this green parrot is itself a prisoner, its own last words face- 

 tiously imply as much. Its cage, ' '.'made by Tokoah u," = lit. hot vapour : — scil., 

 a long fellow reaching out or forth, (who hangs me up here in the hot sun), 

 is another figurative play on words. The whole, especially when sung to 

 its own proper tune, is very facetious, especially to a Maori. 



(7.) 

 A joyous revelling Song, Duet, or Glee, sung by the Wood Rats. 

 First Rat. — 0, Eat, ! let us two descend (the tree). 

 Second Rat. — Why should we two go down below? 

 First Rat. — To gather up nice baits for us to eat. 

 Second Rat. — What are those nice baits ? 

 First Rat. — The sweet ripe fruits of the pine trees. 



Second, or Third, Rat. — Fudge ! I am just come up from below, my friends 1 

 And down there is the fear and trembling, my friends ; 

 The springbolt of the set snare resounds with a click ! 



♦ For Tinirau, see Grey's " Polynesian Mythology," p. 90, etc. 



