BY R. ETHERIDGE, JUNR. 277 



tags. The patterns are interlaced vertical lines or conjoined 

 rhombs. 



Sufipended Ornaments. — The finest gasket in the collection is 

 without doubt the large tlat-sinnet thrower obtained by Cook 

 (fig. 11). The end of one of the tags has a couple of twisted 

 -strands of the Rousette fur string binding left free as a small 

 terminal loop. Suspended to this by fibre string are three 

 objects, consisting of two thick beads of Kauri gum and a carved 

 bone ornament. Three reasons may be advanced for believing 

 these to be genuinely a part of the gasket in question- — 1st, the 

 presence of the loop at the end of the tag, ostensibly provided for 

 some purpose or another ; 2nd, the fact that the beads resemble in 

 .shape certain stone beads on New Caledonian necklets at present in 

 the Museum; and 3rd, that Labillardiere states that the New Cale- 

 donians carved bone ornaments, which were suspended to necklets. 

 On the other hand, against this last point is Labillardiere's state- 

 ment that bone ornaments of this kind were " indifferently 

 carved." That on the Cook gasket is by no means so, and there- 

 fore it is quite within the range of possibility that this appendage 

 may have been subsequently added. Personally I do not think 

 so, for the whole appearance of the suspended objects seems to be 

 genuine. 



The only deviation from the structure of these New Caledonian 

 spear-throwers that has so far come under my notice is the figure 

 given by Mr. J. Edge-Partington, representing one with a grummet 

 at both ends, instead of a loop at one and a grummet or overhand 

 knot at the other.* 



We may now pass on to a brief consideration of the occurrence 

 of a spear-becket on other South Pacific islands, but at the out- 

 set I regret to say that the information at my command is very 

 limited. 



The first reference is to the island of Tanna, in the New 

 Hebrides. Cook's statement has already been referred to, but 

 the Rev. G. Turner, a New Hebridean missionary, figuresf a 



* Album, loc. elf., 2d ser., t. 67, f. 11. 

 t Nineteen Years in Polynesia, 1861, p. 81. 



