162 Proceediv(i>< of the Royal Sociefij of Victoria. 



song: — " Atnylitiga etuiija, etc." When sutiicient niiiterial has 

 been secured they sit down and begin to tie twigs on to the poles, 

 the men singing, incessantly, " Purta purta airpinta airpintima." 

 When the poles, about thirty in number — each of them about ten 

 feet long — are ready, which is about noon, the men start back 

 for the Apulia carrying the poles with them. These they place 

 in a heap about two hundred yards from the Apulia, and then 

 tiie Urinthantima man assisted by an Okilia ties twigs of Eremo- 

 phila round the boy's body and on to liis head — this being done 

 where the sticks liave iteen deposited. A signal is communicated 

 to the me)i at the Apulia who then move away and shout to the 

 women who are waiting some little distance off and who then 

 approach at a run carrying shields in front of them and shouting 

 as they come along, " pai ! pai ! pai !" They take up a position 

 one behind the other with their backs to the Apulia brake and 

 their faces turned towards the west from which direction the 

 Wui'tja's party is coming. As the latter approach the women 

 begin to dance up and down the lines making with their right 

 hands the movement of invitation and with their left hands 

 holding their shields against their breasts. The Wurtja party 

 approaches at a run, the Wurtja himself being concealed in the 

 centre, each man carrying several pieces of bark which are 

 thrown at the women while the men shout loudly, " Whirra !" 

 and the women shield their faces. When close to the Apulia 

 the men fire a final volley and the women run away, pell mell, 

 their pace accelerated by the vehement shouting of the men who 

 are standing about in all directions away from the Apulia to 

 which they return as soon as the women have gone. The bushes 

 are taken off the Wurtja by the Urinthantima and Okilia and he 

 is told to remain in a crouching position. 



Tlie Apulia ground is now carefully cleaned and the Wurtja's 

 brake shifted to within a few yards of the western end after 

 "which a council, in which Okilia, Oknia and Gammona take 

 part, is held at the eastern end for the purpose of appointing a 

 man to act as " Wulya," his duty l)eing to paint a design upon 

 the back of the Wurtja, the choice of the design resting with 

 the Wulya who is supposed to choose one of those which 

 are called " Ilkinia," that is a design belonging to a totem and 

 emblematic of the latter. He is also supposed to choose one of 



