BY R. ETHERIDGE, JUN. 257 



believes the custom to be the remnant of a forgotten religious 

 ceremony, and herein I think he is correct. 



Whilst on this subject it will not be uninteresting to notice" 

 how the general pattern of the Mika-knife and its handle, as 

 illustrated in Lumholtz's figure, has been, preserved by certain 

 north-eastern tribes in the knives now made by them from old 

 scrap iron, broken larger knives, shear-blades, and such like. 

 Thanks to Mr. George Sweet, of Brunswick, Melbourne, I am 

 able to exhibit three such from near Cooktown. The first and 

 shortest of these has the handle formed by wrapping the blade 

 round with a piece of turkey-red cotton, kept in its place by 

 loosely winding string and thread round it ; it is six and a half 

 inches long. The second knife, although shorter in the exposed 

 blade, is longer in its entirety, being seven and a half inches, but 

 not so broad as the first knife. Here the handle is formed by 

 wrapping round some fabric, and then apparently encasing in a 

 native gum, which has set hard, whilst on this string has been 

 wound very regularly, probably when the gum was warm, pro- 

 ducing a compact and solid handle. 



The third and last knife is the most interesting of the three, and 

 is likewise the longest, being eight inches. The fabric used in this 

 instance has been again daubed and partially covered with some 

 gummy substance, which has set hard, as in the second instance, 

 just described. But protruding from the base is a mass of green 

 sheep's wool, and it is this which brings Lumholtz's illustration 

 so forcibly before us. It will be remembered that the sheath of 

 his Mika-knife was ornamented at the apex by a tuft of cockatoo's 

 feathers. 



Addendum. — (June 12, 1890.) — I omitted to mention that 

 Police Trooper S. Gason states that this rite is known in the 

 Dieyeiie Tribe, around Cooper's Creek, about 630 miles north of 

 Adelaide, as the " Koolpie." It is performed on youths as soon 

 as the beard is sufficiently grown to admit of the ends being tied. 

 The man to be operated on is rendered helpless, and the penis 



