TIME. 
365 
fuschia, which sheds its leaves in winter; for, if possible, 
the forest is more verdant in that season than in summer. 
Winter is called HotoJce , or the season when, from the 
increased moisture, the earth gives up its worms, which 
formerly were highly prized as food, some attaining a very 
large size. 
Since the introduction of Christianity, the natives have 
given particular names to three of the week days, which are 
now generally used throughout the country. According to 
their nomenclature, Sunday is called Te Wild, the week, most 
probably because it commences with that day, which thus, 
by way of distinction, is designated the week, Saturday is 
named Te ra horoi , or the washing and cleaning-up day, 
from their noticing the custom in all European houses of 
thus employing that day. Friday is called Te ra oka , or the 
bleeding day. I was along time before I could discover the 
origin of this name, but found that it is derived from the 
European custom of killing their pigs on the Friday, so as to 
have time to cut them up on the Saturday, and dispose 
of them before the Sabbath. The custom of bleeding ani- 
mals, which is or ought to be general amongst us as Chris- 
tians, struck the natives with the greatest astonishment, 
that the blood which they esteem so highly, should thus 
be wasted ; they have therefore commemorated the circum- 
stance by giving the name of Te ra oka , to this pig-killing 
day. The remaining days of the week still preserve their 
naturalized names, viz., Manei, Turei, Wenerei, Tairei. 
The Maori rather vary in the names given for the nights 
of the moon, as will be seen from the following six lists, 
which belong to different tribes. The first two nights are 
those when the moon is invisible ; these names also denote 
the state of the tide : — 
