NORTH QUEENSLAND ETHNOGRAPHY— ROTH. 173 



about most unmercifully and in all directions during the search. 

 But this is not all, for the last-mentioned individual is next laid 

 on his back, and the search continued in the groin, fork, and on 

 the testicles. As each insect is caught, an extra " au ! au ! " is 

 given. When no more are discoverable, all three stamp the 

 ground with their knees, raising the elbows and arms as each 

 jump is made, the chorus circling and shouting all the time. 



(b) The Black-palm(Pl.lv.). In this show, while things are being 

 got ready, the novices, standing on the edge of the boral, are made 

 to turn their backs to it. At the same time certain of the old 

 men cover their eyes and ears to make the mystery doubly sure. 

 In the meantime a large black-palm leaf is brought in from the 

 neighbouring scrub and stuck upright in the centre of the circular 

 area. The novices are now turned round and allowed to see it, 

 when it is shaken about and subsequently torn to pieces, the 

 central figures stamping with their knees, and the chorus shouting 

 and dancing around as before. The novices — one of the little 

 fellows can be distinguished in the plate — are told by the old 

 men that they made the plant grow there where the)- saw it, and 

 they believe them. 



(c) The Milkandar (a bird). The central performers on their 

 knees, with arms raised, imitate the sound of the bird towards 

 which they are spasmodically jumping up in order to try and 

 catch it; chorus as before. 



(d) The Wo-dil (a bird associated with water-lilies) is repre- 

 sented by the central individuals picking up small handfuls of 

 sand and tossing it here and there —the idea of the little tit 

 skipping from flower to flower. 



(e) The Mosquito. Tn this, which requires some little time for 

 preparation, the performers hide in the surrounding scrub. Some 

 three or four with leafy branches in their hands conic rushing 

 out into the ring, jump about in all directions and brush away 

 the imaginary mosquitoes from off their bodies, heads, thighs and 

 legs. They are soon joined by the singers, and again a repetition 

 of chorus, stamping and clapping. 



(f) The Crab. The novices, as in the Black-palm ceremony, 

 have their backs turned, some Grevillea nuts being, in the mean- 

 time, brought from their hiding-place behind a neighbouring tree, 

 and hidden in the circular area. The novices on turning round 

 see one of the performers on a neighbouring branch beckoning 

 to two others in the far distance to come up as the tire is ready, 

 and only waiting for the crabs to be roasted. These two then 

 advance, and amid great excitement will And crab {i.e., Grevillea 



