22 ANTHROPOLOGICAL CONSTDERATIONS OF QUEENSLAND. 



to our knowledge, and it is just the kind of knowledge 

 which is required to get an insight into what is at the back 

 of the blackfellow's mind. 



The value of Dr. W. PI Roth's contributions to Queens- 

 land Ethnography cannot be estimated. His investigations 

 Avere conducted at a time when hardlj- anyone else bothered 

 ^xbout the native or saw any reason whj' records of his life 

 should be kept, and in places sufficiently isolated to give 

 him unsmirched material and enviable opportunities. 

 l)r. Roth zealously safeguarded all information that he 

 could procure and has handed it on to us. Not until the 

 native has completely passed, will the true value of his 

 scientific researches be adequately reaUsed. Dr. Roth 

 was not an amateur at his work. He not only possessed 

 enthusiasm and unique opportunities, but he had other 

 special gifts. Hom- cleverly and accurately he sketched ; 

 look at the illustrations of the ' cat's-cradle " work and the 

 drawings of weapons and implements. Queensland 

 tleplores the loss of Roth's considerable collections made 

 during his Protectorship of the Aboriginals, but we never- 

 theless are grateful to knoM- that the collections are well 

 and safely housed in the Australian Museum, Sydney, 

 and graphical^ described vnider the able Curatorship of 

 nn' colleague, Mr. R. Etheridge. It would not be out of 

 place to say that the Queensland Museum is indebted to 

 Br. Roth for many valuable exhibits, so that although 

 the Museum has lost the larger and more complete collec- 

 tion, we are yet able to say that, thanks to Dr. Roth's efforts, 

 many an important phase of Queensland native life is 

 adequately illustrated. 



(Some special reference to Lumholtz's work (74) entitled 

 "' Among Cannibals " is needed to make this survey com- 

 plete. Living as Lumholtz did for some considerable 

 time upon stations in different parts of Queensland, he 

 had exceptional abihties for studying local conditions 

 biologically. His carefully made researches into the life 

 of the natives are of great value. 



The recent discovery of a fossil human skull from the 

 Pleistocene of Queensland requires some mention at this 

 stage The skull was found at Talgai, on the Darling 



