122 



EASTERN ETHIOPIA 



obtains in other tribes, especially among a closely 

 allied tribe, the Nandi. 



The men and women of the Kikuyu country devote 

 much care to the decoration of their ears, and, like the 

 Masai, attach ornaments to the helix as well as to the 

 lobe, but the styles of ear-studs and ear-rings of the Wa- 

 Kikuyu differ in some particular from those of their 

 neighbours. 



The Ear of a Masai with the stone in 

 situ. 



The boys, when they are nearly ripe for circumcision, 

 have the rims of their ears pierced in several places; 

 through the holes three, and occasionally five reeds 

 are introduced ; these reeds project from the rim of the 

 helix, but lie in the same plane as the ear. 



In the case of women five holes are made in the 

 helix. In its simplest form the ornament consists of 

 a piece of grass with a bead of gum at the base to 



