1920] 



on String Figures 



91 



ancient civilization, has not given us many designs. In this form 

 there is almost invariably only one player. The figures produced 

 are numerous, and many of them can be made, and are made, in more 

 than one way. In this country only one Oceanic construction, known 

 as the Leashing of LochieVs Dogs, has been discovered. [The figure 

 as shown by the Lecturer was made by successive movements, as set 

 out in the next paragraph.] This, in some places termed Croiv's 



Fig. 7. — Crow's Feet. 



Feet, is the most widely distributed of string designs as yet cata- 

 logued, occurring in Africa, Australasia, the Pacific Isles, and America. 

 It may be indigenous in Great Britain, but in a sea-surrounded land 

 like this, having ship communication with all parts of the world, it 

 seems more likely that it is an importation. 



[Groiv's Feet. — The successive movements which produced the 

 result shown in the Lecture may be put in the form of the following 

 rules: — First: Take up the string in the form of Opening A.* 

 Second : Insert the four fingers of each hand from above into the 

 corresponding thumb loops, and throw the near thumb string over 

 the backs of the hands. Third : Transfer each index-finger loop to 

 the corresponding thumb. Fourth : Transfer each dorsal loop to 

 one of the free digits of that hand, for choice I prefer the index- 

 finger. Fifth : Pass each near little-finger striug from below through 

 the corresponding index-finger loop, place it on the far side of the 

 little-finger, and Xavaho* the far little-finger strings. Lastly : Release 

 the thumbs and extend. In the working of this figure in different 

 places there are many small variations.] 



Ptecently I came across an instance of how such figures may be 

 introduced here. A friend of mine, then living at an inland town, 

 showed me a well-known figure, sometimes called a Fishing Net, 

 sometimes Quadruple Diamonds. [The figure as shown by the 

 Lecturer was made by successive movements, as set out in the next 



This term is explained below, on page 93. 



