11 J STORY AND CUSTOMS OF THE M A KARAXGA. 393 



getting all about the necessity for silence, burst out on him for 

 being such a fool as not to know weeds from grain. 



After they were married she, of course, went with her hus- 

 band to his home, and took up her residence on a hill called 

 " The Girls' Hill" from the summit of which she could see her 

 father's country, some lOO miles away. 



Fupajena brought back with him the power to make rain, 

 and this power has de.^cendeci' from one chief to the other until 



recently. 



The source of the rain is said to be on " The Girls" Hill " ; 

 this is a small pool, which is situated on the top of the hill. This 

 pool is covered with a flat stone, and a hut has been built over 

 it. When rain is required the slab rock is removed. 



The reigning chief cannot climb the hill unless accompanied 

 by his " Priest." and there are various taboos concerning it. A 

 pel son, when on the hill, must not whistle in the manner the 

 natives usually do when driving cattle. 



The hut covering the pool has two doors — one may only 

 be used by men. and the other by women — and no one must com- 

 pletely encircle the hut by walking round it. 



Only the chief mav remove the slab from the ])0ol. It 

 would appear that someone removed the lid this year, and forgot 

 to put it back. 



Crocodiles and hippos have a very bad effect on the rainfall 

 if killed and left lying on dr}- land. The former are, of course, 

 never killed by natives, but in the case of the latter, after it has 

 been despoiled of the hide and meat, the bones should be re- 

 turned to the water. 



Solar Physics. — Science announces that Dr. L. A. 

 Bauer has left Washington for England for the purpose of 

 organising an ex]>edition for magnetic and electric observation 

 during the solar eclipse of May 2(j, iQiy, at a station in South 

 Africa. 



Ostriches in Arizona. — In the twenty-seventh 



annual report of the Arizona Exi^eriment Station ( pj). 2i)0-2g^) 

 R. H. Williams and W. S. Cunnincfham discuss the laying records 

 of and the weight of the eggs laid by ostrich hens from Nubia, 

 from South Africa and by cross-bred hens. In igi6 two Nubian 

 hens laid an average of 25.5 egg'^, four South Africans an average 

 of 28.7s, while three cross-bred hens made an average of 32.67, 

 The eggs of the South African hens averaged 1.507 grams in 

 weight, those of the Nubian birds 1,597.. ^"fl tlie cross-bred 

 ostriches gave an average of 1,^)48 grams. 



