■ 



■ 

 ■ 



■ 



72 



a place where Kakas congregate to feed on the berries or leaves of forest trees. In other places all kinds 

 of birds are seen on the same feeding ground, which is termed a ' hapua.' A flock of Koko, or Tui, is called 

 a ' Wiri Koko ' when flying, but a ' Hapua Koko ' when settled on the feeding ground. A flock of Kereru 

 (Pigeons) is known as a ' Tipapa Kereru.' A flock of Ducks is a ' Kawai Parera ' when swimming, but a 

 ' Pokai Parera ' when flying. A flock of ' Tataeto ' (Whiteheads) is a ' Ta Tataeto ' among Tuhoe, and 

 a ' Taki Tataeto ' with Ngati Awa. The male bird of Kaka is termed Tata-apopo, and the female Tara-riki. 

 The male is known by the head being larger than that of the female. These names obtain throughout the 

 year. Sex names of the Koko or Tui {Prosthemadera novce-zealandice) are somewhat complicated. During 

 the period commencing with the flowering of the kotukutuku, or native fuchsia, and ending with the fruiting 

 of the hinau, the male bird is known as Kopurehe, and the female as Kouwha. During the balance of the 

 year the male bird is called Kokuri, and the female Kokotea 



Each flock of Kaka has its own feeding grounds and its own leader. The different flocks do not interfere 

 with each other's preserves ; they are divided into tribes, as the Maori is. The leader or chief of a flock is 

 known as the Tarariki or Tatariki (sometimes Tatarariki). It is invariably a small bird, and it appears to act 

 as a guide and marshal. It flies or hovers about outside the flock, and leads the flock from one feeding 

 ground (whakarua) to another. This leader is sometimes termed the Kaka Whakataka Pokai. In addition 

 to the flock leaders there are the great Ariki. These are very rare birds. The term is applied to Kaka, which 

 are red (instead of the ordinary brown), or white. The term Kaka Kura is also applied to them. The Ariki 

 do not fly with the flock, but keep aloof, with a sole companion, an ordinary bird. The Tatariki leads the 

 flock. It is said that only one Ariki occurs in each district, though that district would contain many flocks 

 of Kaka. Others state that each district contained two Ariki, one red, the other white. The white or red 

 Kaka were very scarce, hence, perhaps, were elevated to the dignity of supreme leadership. A white Hawk 

 (Kahu Korako) was also a very rare bird, hence the term was applied to chiefs. An old proverb says : ' Me 

 haere i roto i te kahu korako,' i.e., Travel under the wing of the "White Hawk, or, always travel with a chief, 

 and then you will get plenty of food. Another proverb says : ' He kuku ki te kainga, he Kaka ki te haere': 

 a pigeon at home, a Kaka abroad. This is a jeering expression for those people who are dirty and wear 

 shabby clothing at home, but dress well when they go a visiting. Again, ' Me te weka ka motu i te mahanga ' 

 —like a Woodhen escaped from the snare of the fowler — applied to one who escapes from a war party ; don't 

 think to catch him again. Again for the Kaka : ' He Kaka ki uta, he manga ki te moana ' : the Kaka on land, 

 the Barracouta in the sea. Both are strong and voracious, and the Kaka rends wood as the Manga rends 

 the net. 



There are four different modes of taking the Kaka: (1) By the 'mutu'; (2) by spearing ; (3) by the 'pae'; 

 (4) catching by hand. The first three are the principal methods, the fourth can only be practised during the 

 time of the ' whaturua ' (mid- winter), when the Kakas are so fat that, when surprised feeding on the ground, 

 they cannot rise in flight, but instantly run to a tree, up which they proceed to walk with that comical motion 

 so well known to the bushman. At such a time they are caught by hand or knocked over with a stick.* 



Mutu Kaka.— The ' mutu ' is the principal appliance by which Kaka are taken. It is a perch and snare 

 combined, formed of a forked branch or cut out of a larger piece of timber, and often ornamented with carving. 

 It is in shape something like a capital T, the shank of the T being the perch and the lower and longer arm of 

 the letter being lashed to the ' kokirikiri,' or pole, by which the mutu is elevated on the tree. There are, 

 however, four different kinds of the ' mutu,' known as ' kapu,' ' huanui,' « porae' and <kira,' in each case the 

 shank of the T (or perch) being set at a different angle. The ' kokirikiri ' has a small piece of wood lashed 

 across below, where the ' mutu ' is made fast, in the form of a crutch. This crutch is to hook over the end 

 of the 'hiwi' to suspend the ' kokirikiri' and 'mutu' by. The ' hiwi ' is a pole permanently lashed to the 

 branches of the tree, so that the end projects out from the tree top a short distance. The two kinds of * hiwi ' 

 are known as ' hiwi-ariki ' and 'pou-tauru.' A stage is built among the branches of, the tree, on which the 

 fowler sits, screened from view by fronds of the fern tree ; this stage is called a ' papanui.' A tree on which 

 birds are taken by the ' mutu ' is termed a ' tutu ' ; a tree on which they are speared is a ' kaihua,' while a 

 tree on which birds are snared is known as a ' taumatua.' As observed, all famous bird trees were named, 

 and these names often appeared in song and proverb, as < Ko Kaitara ki uta, ko Moutohora ki te moana '— 

 'Kaitara on shore is as famous as Moutohora in the sea,' the first being a famous bird tree at Te-Wera-iti, 



* In the month of May the Kakas are feeding on miro, which is one of their winter berries, and thus 

 become excessively fat. 



