402 ANTHROPOLOGICAL NOTES, 



these tattoo scars which were from an inch and a half to two inches 

 long as a rule. It took some time to make the whole series of 

 them, as they allowed those made first to heal before they started 

 others. In this way first the back and then the chest and arms 

 were operated upon in rotation. The women were also tattooed 

 on the chest and arms, but not to such an extent as the men. 

 The marks were supposed to indicate their family descent as well 

 as tribal connection. 



Both the men and the women had the septum of the nose 

 pierced to carry a piece of polished kangaroo bone. A woman 

 considered herself looking her best when she had about six or 

 eight inches of bone pushed through her nose. The reason for 

 this habit was that, in addition to its being considered ornamental, 

 when they returned on earth again after death, either as a swan, 

 duck or fish, &c., they would then have a hole ready made for the 

 purpose of breathing. 



A FEW Notes on the Monaro Tribe of AboricxInes, with a 

 Description of some of their Stone Implements. 



The once numerous tribe inhabiting the Monaro District, com- 

 prising the south-western highlands and tablelands of New South 

 Wales, is nov/ almost extinct. The last typical specimen is 

 incarcerated in Goulburn gaol for killing his gin a little more than 

 two years ago, and besides him I believe only another fullblood 

 (young and civilised) native of the tribe exists, who is at present 

 living near Buckley's Crossing. The only one of them I ever saw 

 was " Bonny Jack," the " King " of Monaro, whom I met five 

 years ago. He was a short, rather broad shouldered man with an 

 open countenance and a merry disposition. At the time of our 

 meeting he had not long buried his gin, " Polly, ""^ and intended 

 to go across the border, if I remember right, with the intention of 



* From a correspondent I hear that he " interred " her in a hollow tree 

 by the side of Spring Creek Lake, not far from Berridale. He derived some 

 consolation, or pretented to do so, from the belief that his Polly would 

 " jump up white lady by and by." 



