474 A NATURALIST ON THE "CHALLENGER." 



and the other red or black. All the ornamentation on the figures 

 is of the common zig-zag pattern, and formed of a series of 

 lozenge and triangular-shaped spaces. The patterns are incised, 

 and coloured of three colours, black, red, and white. The parts 

 coloured white and red are cut in, whilst the patches of original 

 surface left in relief are blackened. Guardian deities, such as 

 these, are common in Melanesia and Papua, as is also their 

 combination with representations of fish ; carefully coloured 

 drawings of the figures were made by Mr. J. J. Wild, artist of 

 the Expedition, and my description of the figures is derived from 

 these drawings. 



Another temple had no figures, but the four large drums 

 already mentioned. To the rafters and supports of the roofs of 

 these temples inside are fixed up quantities of skulls of pigs and 

 turtles, all arranged regularly, with the snouts downward. The 

 skulls were decorated with colours. With them were suspended 

 large quantities of balls of human hair, some evidently old, 

 others of recent date : these balls or masses of hair were sus- 

 pended sometimes in networks of string, sometimes in small 

 receptacles of a very open basket-work. Both the bunches of 

 hair and the skulls appeared often to have regular owners, 

 though dedicated in the temple ; the natives parted with both 

 freely for barter. 



The hair is probably cut off as a religious ceremony ; some 

 men had the hair recently cut off. A Dugong's and a Porpoise's 

 skull were produced for barter. The natives evidently treasure 

 skulls of all sorts. Human skulls are likewise kept stuck up in 

 the thatch of the houses. At Dentrecasteaux Island, one having 

 an ornament in the nose was suspended to the front of a house 

 over the doorway by means of a stick thrust through holes in 

 the two squamous parts of the temporal bone. This skull the 

 owner could not be induced to part with, but usually they were 

 sold pretty freely, and they were in considerable abundance 

 about the houses, but often much shattered ; a dozen only were 

 purchased. The natives are very superstitious. When a group 

 was being photographed, the old women put up two long poles 

 transversely between themselves and it in order to protect them- 

 selves from its evil influence, and they could not be persuaded 



