Erusripce— Some [mplements, etc., of the Alligator Tribe, Port Essington. 247 
the energetic Curator of the Adelaide Museum, pointed out to me a plume of White 
Cockatoo feathers mounted in a precisely similar way, forming the apical ornament of 
a very remarkable Corroboree pole, and again in a similar position on the equally 
peculiar masks worn in the Corroboree at Port Darwin. Lumbholtz states* that on the 
Herbert River, tufts of Talegalla feathers are held in the mouths of the dancers, whilst 
further corroborative evidence of the use of these tufts is given by Foelsche, who 
sayst that “bunches of white feathers fastened to a short painted stick are stuck in 
the hair” amongst the North Coast tribes. 
APRONS. 
The front covering, or apron, worn by males was made in some tribes of strips of 
skin, in others circlets of string were used. A number of the latter are present in 
this collection of different degrees of coarseness, whipped at opposite ends to keep 
them together, some containing as many as fifty rounds or circlets. The twine is 
coloured either of the usual indian red or ochre, whilst the whipping is green or 
white. The male figure, previously referred to in the South Australian Museum, 
has similar bundles of twine suspended in front from the girdle and acting practically 
as an apron. 
In southern tribes using the skin strips, these when made of opossum skin are 
called Barran-jeep.t 
Bopy-corbs. 
Long lengths of twine, of different sizes, are stained indian red and formed into 
two loops and used as body decorations. The arms are passed through the loops, 
so that the line of union of the two rests vertically along the back between the 
shoulder blades, the front portion of the loops giving support to the pectoral muscles 
and mammze. The united portion is whipped with its own material. 
Mr. J. F. Mann describes$ a peculiar modification of these body-cords, made in 
this instance of spun opossum hair. It is first placed round the loins, then alternately 
over each shoulder, and finally round the neck, imparting the appearance of both a 
girdle, necklet and cross belts. 
Baskets. 
The baskets are numerous and of various sizes. They are made of small reeds 
or rushes, and although flexible are particularly tough. 
* Amongst Cannibals, 1890, p. 237. 
+ Trans. R. Soe. 8S. Australia for 1881-82 [1882], V. p. 14. 
~ Smyth, Aborigines of Victoria, 1878, I. p. 273. 
§ Proc. Geogr. Soc. Austr. (N.S. Wales and Vict. Branches) for 1883-84 [1885], I. p. 36. 
