250 Memoranda of an Excursion 
interesting place. Such, however, was not the case ? 
the people among whom I now was, had scarcely at 
this season any food for their own use, and, although, 
they exerted themselves to the utmost in their endea¬ 
vours to be hospitable towards me and my party, they 
could only allow us two scanty meals of roots and herbs 
per diem . 
Although at this season, harvest was about com¬ 
mencing in the more northerly parts of the island, here, 
in these elevated spots, it was so cold, that I was often 
obliged to keep on my cloak, or walk briskly about to 
keep myself warm. The natives assured me, that the 
snow lay many feet deep on these hills in the winter* 
and that in such seasons they kept within their houses. 
Their houses are large and warm, and curiously con¬ 
structed to keep out the severity of the winter’s cold- 
being built over a large pit, or trench, the full size of 
the house. Thus a house, which on the outside appears 
to be only three or four feet high, is, when you descend 
into it, from five to seven feet in height. 
I obtained from the lake some fine specimens of 
Unio ;* the only living thing (according to the natives)' 
found within its waters. I supposed this sheet of water 
to be about six miles in diameter; but could only guess 
* Unio Waikajrense ; Shell, oblong or oblong-ovate, concentrically 
and irregularly sulcated, sub-diaphanous, inflated; anterior side pro¬ 
duced, obtuse, slightly compressed; posterior slope keeled, sharp; base, 
slightly depressed; umbones decorticated, flattisli, much worn ; primary 
tooth, large, crested; epidermis, strong, overlapping at margin, wrin¬ 
kled on anterior slope; colour, brownish-yellow on posterior side, 
shading into dusky green on anterior, with alternate light-coloured 
lateral stripes; inches broad, 2\ inches long. 
Hab. Waikare Lake, mountains, interior of the N. Island of New 
Zealand,—IF. C, MSS,, inecL 
