216 The N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology. [July 
Paekakariki Middens. 
At Te Paripari, about half a mile south of Paekakariki, commences a 
series of sandhills that extend far up the coast, on and between which were 
situated many native hamlets in former times. Such signs of former occupa¬ 
tion as shell-middens and village-sites are almost continuous for miles in 
some areas. Most of these remains date from pre-European times, and 
many of them must be centuries old. Wind-breaks followed by sand-drift 
have covered some of the shell-heaps and exposed others, while some of the 
sandhills show several layers of shells and other debris separated by deposits 
of drift sand of varying depth, possibly betokening abandonment and re¬ 
occupation of the site. In some cases a shell-midden occupies the sharp 
summit of a hillock, showing that the winds have removed a higher part 
formerly occupied by natives, for assuredly no native woman would carry 
her cookhouse-refuse uphill. A considerable number of stone and bone 
implements have been found in this vicinity. The late Mr. Hamilton here 
collected nearly one hundred stone adzes and parts of such implements. 
When a pond that formerly existed near the hotel was drained some wooden 
weapons—spears—were found in the bed thereof. The rapid growth of 
certain introduced sand-binding plants along this coast has much impeded 
the work of relic-hunters. 
For some miles along this coast the great majority of the shell-heaps 
are composed principally of Mesodesma subtriangulatum, but in a few cases 
their place is taken by Dosinia anus. In two places, fully a mile apart, 
heaps composed principally of the latter shells are seen but a few chains 
away from others composed almost entirely of Mesodesma subtriangulatum. 
Taking the whole series, however, between Te Paripari and the beach road 
from Paraparaumu, the following list gives a fair idea of the shells found in 
the heaps : Mesodesma subtriangulatum, Dosinia anus, Spisula aequilateralis, 
Mactra discors, Haliotis iris, H. australis, Calliostoma selectum, Thais 
succincta, T. haustrum, Siphonalia nodosa, Siphonalia sp., Strutliiolaria 
papulosa, Helcioniscus (2 spp.), Voluta arabica elongata, Mytilus edulis, M. 
canaliculus, Turbo smaragdus, Astraea sulcata, Monodonta aethiops, Cominella 
maculosa, Ghione stutchburyi, C. costata, C. yatei, Phalium achatinum pyrum, 
and Atrina zelandica. 
The above names are arranged roughly in about the order in which the 
various species were seen, as regards numbers. It would appear that the 
folk occupying these numerous hamlets obtained shell-fish from both sandy 
beach and rocky coast-line, possibly visiting Kapiti in their canoes. Very 
few Chione shells are seen in these middens; and that genus, or at least 
C. stutchburyi, seems to prefer the inner beaches, as of harbours and 
estuaries, to exposed coast-lines. It is not improbable that the shells of 
this species found in the Titahi middens were conveyed thither from the 
sandy beaches of the harbour between Kenepuru and Kahotea. 
A single shell of the tohemanga (Mactra elongata) was seen at Paekaka¬ 
riki. The southern limit of the species on this beach appears to be about 
Waikanae ; they are plentiful about Otaki. 
The above lists tend to show that all was fish that came to the Maori 
net. The natives seem to have included in their food-supplies all shell¬ 
fish large enough to repay the labour of collection, including many species 
not eaten by us. Haliotis iris was prized on account of its size ; these 
and cockles were dried by the Maori, and utilized as a winter food-supply. 
The writer has seen Italians collecting Haliotis for food purposes on the 
Californian coast. 
