PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 495 
round it and the outstretched fingers, so as to produce a 
representation in outline. The Koko-yimidir aboriginals of 
this district have no specialname for this amusement beyond 
“kapan-balkalkal”’ (xe., a mark—to make, imitate, &c.), 
the same term as is applied to cratch-cradle, &c. They tell 
me it is an amusement special to boys and young men. 
With regard to the Bloomfield, R. Hislop says that on many 
a vertical or over-hanging rock are to be met paintings re- 
presenting human beings, cassowaries, turtles, kangaroos, 
hands, &c., executed with charcoal, pipeclay, or raddle. 
At the water-hole on the old Normanton Road, about six 
miles from Cloncurry, the “ pictures” consist of a saurian 
type of figure, varying from about 12 inches to over 6 feet in 
length—and hence possibly representing a lizard, an iguana, 
or crocodile—painted in red ochre upon the blocks of 
granite. 
Imitative Games. (Human  <Actions—Domestic).—(a) 
Playing at ‘“‘ Houses,” “ Grown-ups,” “ Marriage,” &c., is in 
one form or another as common among black children as it 
is among white ones. On the upper Normanby, the 
youngsters pretending® to be married will build an im- 
promptu hut, and sit contentedly within its shade; suddenly 
a boy rushes forward to steal the gin, over whose possession 
he and the husband now make-believe to have a fight. On 
the lower Tully, the boys and girls will make miniature 
huts, &c., and finally go away in couples into the scrub. It 
is a game often being played, but whenever their parents 
eatch them at it they generally give them both a good 
smacking. In the Cairns district little boys and girls often 
amuse themselves by playing at houses in this fashion— 
“You come into my hut; I’ve got some yams.” “No.” 
says another; “just you come into mine—I’ve got opossum 
for you,” and so on, each one vying with the other to make 
his own particular offer the more attractive. The following 
I have seen played by young women on Keppel Island :— 
With any small pieces of rock handy, a gin will set up 
what she calls a hut, a sort of baby cavern or grotto about 
8 or 10 inches high. Kneeling just in front, she throws 
straight into it as fast as she can (with right and left hand 
alternately) various small pebbles, &c., each being respec- 
tively the father, mother, and piccaninnies ; these stones she 
catches up again, then throws them back, and so repeats the 
process over and over again, the whole being accompanied 
by some chant. When three or four women are playing, 
each with her little stone, ‘‘ house” in front, they get 
extremely excited over it. ‘“Wu-ro” is the name of the 
a 
