ngararan.

1841 J. C. Bidwill Rambles in N.Z. (1952) 27 The existence of these lakes is a mere matter of tradition, as none of the present generation have ever ascended to their shores, through fear of the nancras, or imaginary centipedes, or crocodiles (for it does not appear very clearly which is meant by the term).]

1843 J. E. Gray in E. Dieffenbach Trav. N.Z. II. 205 I have been apprized of the existence of a large lizard, which the natives called Tuatera, or Narara, with a general name, and of which they were much afraid.

1857 Lyttelton (N.Z.) Times 15 Aug. 3 The presiding deity has been offended:—his vengeance assuming the form of a Ngarara (lizard) enters the body of a man, consumes his vitals, and thereby causes his death.

1875 Trans. & Proc. N.Z. Inst. 1874 7 296 Ngarara burrows were frequently met with on the plains.

1875 Trans. & Proc. N.Z. Inst. 1874 7 296 A ngarara known as Te iha was kept a long time at Kaiapoi.

1901 A. A. Grace Tales of Dying Race 190 ‘The Ngarara—you never heard of him?’ said the old woman. ‘He is the Ngarara—the real one. Big body, eight feet long; big webbed feet; big wings like a bat's, with which he flies and catches fish.’

1949 P. H. Buck Coming of Maori (1950) i. iv. 61 The crew and passengers of the [canoe] Mangarara consisted of reptiles and insects. The reptiles (ngarara) were lizards.

1966 Encycl. N.Z. I. 48/2 It seems that the ngarara, which frequented manuka scrub, varied in size from 2 to 3 ft in length and from 10 to 20 in. in girth. There was also a smaller ngarara, about 18 in. long, found in streams.

1985 M. Orbell Nat. World of Maori 163 Traditional tales tell of great monsters called ngarara which used to inhabit the land and threaten human beings.