3C4 



A STUDY OF THE BOOMERANG. 



iou is that the natives strike with the boomerang a bird sitting on the 

 branch of a tree; for the probability is that the instrument will break 

 or gel entangled and stuck among the twigs of the tree, as it sometimes 

 happened in my practice. Another saying is that che boomerang is 

 applied for hitting and killing kangaroos. This may be possible when 

 the animal is very near to the hunter, say 30 or 40 feet distant, but I 

 doubt that a boomerang will disable Cw kangaroo, whereas a spear will 

 fell it to the gronnd. 



Mr. Oldfield goes on to say: 



The natives never attempt to kill a solitary bird or beast by means of the boomer- 

 ang. On the other hand, in swampy localities, where water-fowl congregate largely, 

 the boomerang ia of essential use, for a great number of them being simultaneously 

 hurled into a large tlock of water-fowl insures the capture of considerable numbers. 



It is not necessary to reflect any more upon such wonderful tales of 

 what a boomerang in a dexterous hand will possibly perform. A per- 

 son that takes the trouble to practice with this instrument will soon see 

 which of such tales are tenable and which are not. The generally cred- 

 ulous public swallow such stories the more readily the more wonderful 

 things they relate. 



CONSTRUCTION OF THE BOOMERANG. 



By my experience I am led to believe that there exist, perhaps, dif- 

 ferent general forms of boomerangs equally perfect ; but I would make 

 sure only of one general form, which, however, can vary between pretty 

 wide limits. The two instruments sent by me to the Smithsonian are 

 representations of this form. (Figs. 1, 2.) 



Fig. 1. 



Fig. 



