1918.] The N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology. 215 
for a considerable number were seen at an old village-site a short distance 
away. The rocks fringing the wild headland of Whitireia probabl pro¬ 
vided many of the univalves. 
Onepoto. 
This is the name of a small inlet on the western side of the southern arm 
of the harbour, nearly opposite the Paremata railway-station (not Paremata 
proper, which is north of the bridge). A small stream flows into this inlet, 
which accounts for the presence of myriads of Amphibola crenata. It is of 
interest to note that no shells of this species were seen in the middens at 
this place, though numerous in the middens of Titahi, at which place they 
cannot have been obtained. 
On the northern side of the inlet is a small shell-midden almost entirely 
composed of shells of Chione stulchburyi, with a few Mesodesma and Cominella. 
On the southern side of the inlet, but a few chains away, is a deposit 
composed of Mesodesma australe. A little way north of Paekakariki a 
similar case was noted, wherein of two middens a few chains apart one was 
almost entirely composed of shells of Mesodesma subtriangulatum, the other 
of those of Dosinia anus. It looks as though there might be some truth in 
the statement made by old natives that shell-fish, at least such bivalves as 
cockles, Mesodesma, - & c., occasionally desert a section of beach and migrate 
elsewhere in search of a new location, when they may be seen in the act of 
migrating, moving with their “ tongues ” out of the water, as the Maori 
puts it. 
Paremata. 
This seems to have been one of the oldest of native-village sites in the 
Porirua district, to judge from the fact that bones of the moa have been 
there found, also from the amount of village debris formerly visible. This 
settlement was situated on the eastern side of the railway-line, a little way 
north of the bridge. The greater part of it is now covered with drift sand, 
hence there is nothing visible that is worth special notice, most of the shell- 
refuse has been so hidden. A considerable number of stone implements 
have been found here. 
A number of small middens on either side of the eastern arm of the 
harbour are composed almost entirely of Chione stulchburyi, and call for 
no further notice. 
The Taupo (Plimmerton) Midden. 
An interesting midden may be seen on the eastern side of the railroad, 
between the station and Tawhiti-kuri (the rocky bluff south of the station), 
which is composed of the refuse from a hamlet that was situated on the 
hillside. At this place Chione stulchburyi is found in the greatest number, 
obtained from the adjacent sandy beach, the tahuna pipi, or “ pipi bank,” 
as early settlers termed such cockle-bearing sands. In the following list of 
shells found in this midden the species are so arranged that those found in 
greatest number occupy first place, and so in descending order down to the 
small Turritella and Monodonta, of which very few were found : Chione 
stutchburyi, Turbo smaragdus, Haliotis iris, H. australis, Astraea sulcata, 
Mesodesma subtriangulatum, Cominella maculata, Mesodesma australe, Dosinia 
anus, Amphiboh crenata, Thais succincta, Mytilus canaliculus, M. edulis, 
Thais haustrum, Voluta arabica, Turritella rosea, and Monodonta aethiops. 
Other objects found, part from oven-stones, were : Part of a jaw of 
Orca pacifica with teeth, the tooth of same cut half-way through longitudinally 
by means of a stone cutter, bones of fish and birds, and human bones. 
