POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
419 
1 Avarehu . v The new moon that appears about the summer 
solstice of Tahiti, and generally answers to the 
last ten days of December, or the beginning of 
January. 
2. Faaahu .... January, and part of February—The season of 
plenty. 
3. Pipiri .... February, and part of March. 
4. Taaoa .... March, and part of April-^The season of scarcity. 
5. Aununu . . April, and part of May. 
6. Apaapa. . . . May, and a part of June. 
7. Paroro mua . . June, and apart of July. 
8. Paroromuri . . July, and a part of August. ^ 
9. Muriaha . . . August, and a part of September 
10. Hiaia .... September, and part of October. 
11. Tema .... October, and part of November—The season of 
scarcity. 
12. Te-eri .... The whole, or a part of, November—The uru, or 
young bread-fruit, begins to flower. 
13. Te-tai .... The whole, or a part of, December—The uru, or 
bread-fruit, nearly ripe. 
Their calculations, however, were not very exact. Thirteen moons 
exceed the duration of the solar year. But, in order to adapt the same 
moons to the same seasons as they successively occur, the moon generally 
answering to March, or the one occurring about July, is omitted; and in 
some years, only twelve moons are enumerated. 
Another computation commenced the year at the 
month Apaapa, about the middle of May, and gave 
different names to several of the months. They divided 
the year into two seasons, of the Mafarii, or Pleiades. 
The first they called Matarii i nia^ Pleiades above. It 
commenced when, in the evening, these stars appeared on 
or near the horizon; and the half year, during which, im¬ 
mediately after sunset, they were seen above the horizon, 
was called Matarii i nia. The other season commenced 
when, at sunset, the stars were invisible, and continued 
until at that hour they appeared again above the horizon, 
This season was called Matarii i raro, Pleiades below. 
