Dendt. — On Moriori Relics. 133 



inhabited world. Professor Haddon has written an extremely 

 interesting chapter on the subject in his work on the " Study 

 of Man," and has there tabulated the uses and distribution 

 of this remarkable instrument. It appears to have been used 

 (1) as a sacred instrument in the mysteries in ancient Greece, 

 on the west coast of Africa, amongst the Kaffirs, in North 

 America, in the Solomon Islands, in Banks Island, in New 

 Guinea, and in Australia; (2) in initiation ceremonies amongst 

 the Kaffirs and in New Guinea and Australia ; (3) as a sum- 

 mons to ceremonies amongst the Kaffirs and in North 

 America and Australia; (4) to summon spirits in South 

 America ; (5) to frighten away spirits in North America and 

 Banks Island ; (6) as a god on the west coast of Africa and in 

 Australia; (7) associated with judiciary powers, &c, on the 

 west coast of Africa and in the Solomon Islands; (8) for 

 producing wind amongst the Kaffirs, in North and South 

 America, and in Torres Strait ; (9) for producing rain amongst 

 the Kaffirs and African Bushmans, in North and South 

 America, in Torres Strait, and in Australia ; (10) for pro- 

 ducing thunder and lightning in North and South Ame- 

 rica ; (11) as a charm in hunting or fishing by the African 

 Bushmans, in Torres Strait, and in Australia ; (12) for 

 driving cattle by the African Bushmans and the Malays ; 

 (13) as a toy in the British Isles, Central Europe, amongst 

 the Eskimo, in South America, amongst the Malays, in the 

 Solomon Islands, in Banks Island, and in Torres Strait. 



The bull-roarer was tabooed to women by the Kaffirs, the 

 South Americans, the Solomon-Islanders, the Papuans, and 

 the Australians. 



In New Zealand it appears to have existed in a modified 

 form, consisting of an oval flattened piece of wood without 

 notches, but the use which the Maoris made of the instru- 

 ment is not known. Professor Haddon observes, " It is also 

 entirely wanting, so far as we know, from Polynesia, with the 

 exception of New Zealand. It is worth bearing in mind that 

 these islands were almost certainly inhabited by Melanesians 

 before the Maori invasion," and the bull-roarer may belong to 

 the older population. A highly decorated specimen occurs in 

 the British Museum ; it was first figured and noted by Lang. 

 We have no information as to its use." I may add to this 

 that there is in the Canterbury Museum, at Christchurch, a 

 bull-roarer made to order by a Maori from the Urewera 

 country. This specimen is a flat ovoid piece of wood with 

 smooth surface and smooth edges, quite unornamented, and 



* Captain Hutton informs me that there is no sufficient ground for 

 believing in a Melanesian occupation of New Zealand before the advent 

 of the Maoris. — A. D. 



