36 



NATURE 



[May 14, 1903 



ircqiicntly perforated. . The most common form of 

 surface decoration consists of ridged parallel lines en- 

 closing narrow bands or areas, which are filled up with 

 short cross-ridges, as in Fig. i, less frequently notched 

 ornamentation, called taratara o kai. 



The carvings most frequently represent grotesque 

 human figures, often associated with a problematical 

 creature called manaia (Fig. 2). Concerning the 

 manaia, Mr. Hamilton says : 



" On the slab are carved representations of a human 

 figure attended by the monstrous bird or snake-headed 

 figures so frequent in all carvings from the northern 

 portion of New Zealand. At present no explanation 

 is forthcoming of the esoteric meaning of these mystic 



■Waka, or box (of holding greenstone 

 the hair. 



iments or feathers for 



figures. To advance a theory on the subject without 

 ascertained facts from the tohungas (priests) of old 

 would only add to the difficulties of the interpretation. 

 Earle says, ' One of their favourite subjects is a lizard 

 taking hold of a man's head, their tradition being that 

 this was the origin of man.' Possibly these manaias 

 may have been considered as representations of lizards. 

 In Samoa manaia is the name of a lizard." Pratt, 

 however, in his " Grammar and Dictionary of the 

 Samoan Language," third edition, 1893, gives manaia 

 as "fine-looking, handsome; a good-looking man." 

 The interpretation of this motive is greatly to be 

 desired, as it is evidently one of great antiquity and 

 importance. Mr. J. Edge Partington has several 



symbolise fertility. It is possible that the manaia 

 originally, directly or indirectly, had a similar mean- 

 ing. If this be so, it would seem as if the carving on 

 these store-houses was a magical formula to ensure 

 the abundance of the crops. Unfortunately, Mr. 

 Hamilton merely says, " the pataka was the treasury, 

 and its adornments were not only elaborate and 

 beautiful, but had special significance " (p. 90). 



A considerable amount of work yet requires to be 

 done before we can feel that we really understand the 

 symbolism of Maori carvings and the meaning of all 

 the patterns. It cannot be too often or strongly 

 insisted upon that this work cannot be accomplished 

 in European museums ; it is necessary for researches to 

 be made on the spot. Let us hope that it be not yet 

 too late. 



It seems rather ungenerous to find fault with Mr. 

 Hamilton after all the pains he has taken, but the 

 reader would have been saved trouble if the author had 

 been more careful in his editing. For example, it most 

 frequently liappens that the plates on which objects 

 are figured are not referred to in the descriptive text, 

 and vice versd; thus the reader has to hunt through 

 the pages to find the appropriate illustration or de- 

 scription, as the case may be. Sometimes the same 

 class of object is figured on plates some distance apart, 

 and still more troublesome is the case of the illustrations 

 in the text. It is true there are lists of specimens 

 figured in the plates and of illustrations in the text, 

 but the continual turning the pages backwards and 

 forwards to consult these as the text is being read, 

 and the subsequent looking up the illustration, is apt 

 to try the reader's patience. 



The study of comparative decorative art will gain 

 greatly by the publication of this work, and we echo 

 the author's expression of sincere thanks to the Board 

 of Governors of the New Zealand Institute at Welling- 

 ton, N.Z., who have carried out the publication of so 

 costly a work. Messrs. Fergusson and Mitchell, the 

 publishers of Dunedin, also deserve great credit for 

 the beauty of the illustrations and the excellence of the 

 typography. A. C. Haddon. 



Fig. 2. — Carved Pare, or door Ornament rejjresenting a man. w 

 on each side of him. 



times attacked the problem (Journal Anthrop. Inst., 

 xxix. p. 305; XXX,, Miscellanea, Nop. 40, 41; Man, 

 1902, No. 17). He believes it to be a lizard, or perhaps 

 a water-snake. The present writer has hazarded the 

 view (Man, 1901, No. 55) that it may be a degraded 

 and conventionalised representation of a bird, probably 

 of the sacred bird of the West Pacific, the frigate bird 

 which possesses m.ana (spiritual or magical power) in 

 an eminent degree. The Maori spiral is also called 

 manaia, and it appears to be related to the problem- 

 atical animal. The spiral manaia and the less con- 

 ventionalised manaia are associated with human beings 

 on the carvings of the store-houses, and some of these 

 human beings are so grouped as to indicate that they, 



NO 1750, VOL. 68 J 



THE LONDON EDUCATION BILL. 



1"HE Bill to extend and adapt the Education Act, 

 1902, to London, passed its second reading on 

 Wednesday, April 29. As was pointed out in the issue 

 of Nature for April 9, the Bill was introduced by Sir 

 William Anson on April 7, and in referring to the 

 first reading proceedings we summarised its main pro- 

 visions. As a result of the representations of educa- 

 tionists of different shades of political opinion on the 

 Bill in its present form, the Government made it 

 sufficientlv clear during the course of the second read- 

 ing debate that they were prepared to introduce modi- 

 fications during the passage of the Bill through the 

 Committee stage. 



The central principle of the Bill was defined by the 

 Prime Minister during the second reading debate ; it is 

 intended to provide that there shall be a central educa- 

 tion authority and other local authorities to which 

 certain powers can be delegated. The central authority 

 is to be the London County Council, and the bodies to 

 which delegation takes place are to be the borough 

 councils. The vote on the second reading affirmed 

 this principle by a majority of 137 — 163 voting for an 

 amendment that the Bill be read a second time that 

 day six months, and 300 against. 



When the Bill is interpreted in the light of what Mr. 

 Balfour has laid down as its fundamental principle, 

 it becomes clear that modifications in its provisions are 

 of great importance, and it is instructive to study the 



