ADDITIONS TO THE ETHNOLOGICAL COLLECTION — ETHEKIDGB. 305 



district. The shell used is Chama pacijica, Bred., and the portion 

 employed is chiefly the red intermarginal ventral area, although the 

 white inner layers of the valves are also utilised. The shells are first 

 broken up into conveniently sized pieces of about three-sixteenths 

 of an inch diameter, and roughly circular. The latter are then 

 smoothed on a flat stone, with a piece of stick eighteen inches 

 long, and three eighths of an inch diameter, having at its distal 

 end a depression to prevent the shell piece from slipping away. 

 When ground down and flnished-otf the discs are a trifle less in 

 size than the measurements just given. They are next pierced 

 through the middle by a drill, consisting of a shaft twenty-one 

 inches long and formed from a small reed, rather tliicker at one 

 end than the other, to which is attached a fragment of chert, as 

 a bit, and bound on by fine twine. The entire exhibit consists of — 

 (o) Samples of Chama pacijica, Brod. ; (6) piece of chert for prepara- 

 tion of bits; (c) smoothing stick; (d) two drill sticks, with chips 

 mounted ; (e) shell discs in two stages of preparation; (/) the same 

 completed ready for stringing; (g) string of money ready for use. It 

 is presumed that the drills are rotated with the finger and thumb, 

 as there does not appear to be any contrivance similar to the bar 

 and string of the pump-drill. Compared with some shell-money 

 discs in our collection, and figures of others in various works, 

 these discs are small. This form of shell-money is referred to by 

 Dr. O.Finsch^ in his "Ethnologische Erfahrungen und Belagstiicke 

 aus der Slidsee," — here it is called Kokonon, and like the better 

 known Dewara, is still powerful as a means of commercial inter- 

 change. According to Dr. Finsch, the red beads are the most 

 valuable, or of the first grade, and the white of the second grade. 

 Both are used by the women at Nusa, New Ireland, for purchasing 

 purposes. The beads figured by Finsch are quite similar to those 

 presented by Mrs. Kolbe. 



6. — Odirass or Corselet. 



In the "Annual Report for 1900,'"^ 1 described two of these 

 body protectors from the Kingsmill or Gilbert Islands. Another 

 specimen (Plate xlviii., fig. 1) has now been presented by Mr. 

 A. E. Finckh, from Nikunua, in the same group. 



The front of the ventro-thoracic shield is ornamented by a 

 median longitudinal line of three black diamond-shaped figures 

 only, with three similar lines on the inside of the tergal shield, 

 but six diamonds in each row. On the back, or outside of the 

 tergal shield are four lines of like figures, each with six diamonds, 

 and one line of two figures on each side below the axillaj. The 

 tergal shield is high and upstanding, without a collar of any kind, 



6 Finsch— Ann. K. K. Naturhist. Hofmus. Wien., iii., 1888, p. 127, pi. iii , 

 (1), f. 4 and 5. 

 6 Etheridge— Eec. Aust. Mus., iv., 4, 1901, p. 164, pi. xxii. 



