TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION H. 835 



appears in the British Isles, Scandinavia, France, and Germany, in infinitely 

 remote Prehistoric times, in the Bronze Age, and suhsequently became more and 

 more elaborate in the Prehistoric Iron Age, constituting the late Celtic art of Mr. 

 Franks. This may be proved by the examination of the various collections in those 

 countries. This art was probably ultimately derived from the centres of civilisa- 

 tion in South Europe, principally Greek and Etruscan, and has clearly been proved 

 by Chantre to have been introduced into France from Italy. 



From its prevalence among the Celts of the British Isles and of France it is 

 justly termed Celtic, and it was dominant in these regions down to the time of the 

 retreat of the Roman legions before theu- Germanic foes. I do not know of a single 

 case of its association with the interlacing pattern in those regions in any design 

 of a date before the time of the Germanic invasion. 



The interlacing pattern of Class II. is conspicuous by its absence from Irish art 

 until the days of early Irish Christianity. It may be traced far and wide over 

 Europe, and among warriors who owed nothiug to Irish art. It occurs in finds 

 proved beyond controversy to be Germanic or Teutonic, using the term to include 

 also the Scandinavians. In Britain it is the ruhng design, in Anglian and Saxon 

 finds, in cemeteries and in barrows, such, for example, as that recently explored at 

 Taplow. In France it is associated with the remains of the Germanic invaders, 

 Merovingian, Frankish, and others. It has been met with both in Switzerland 

 and Italy, and generally on the Continent in those regions into which the German 

 tribes penetrated. It does not occur in France or the British Isles in association 

 with any remains of a date before the Germanic tribes had begun to move to the 

 attack of the Roman Empire. From these facts it may be concluded that it is 

 distinctly Germanic, and not Celtic, and stiU less ' pure Irish.' Whence it was 

 ultimately derived is a question which need not be discussed in this place. 



The association of the Celtic graceful spiral and flamboyant with the Germanic 

 design, not only in the early Irish MSS., but in Irish chalices and ornaments, may 

 readily be accounted for by the influence of the Germanic tribes (including 

 Scandinavians) not only in Ireland in the eighth and following centuries, but in those 

 parts of Europe traversed by the Irish missionaries. It is only reasonable to suppose 

 that the men who introduced Christianity into Scandinavia and North Germany, 

 and foimded the great abbey of St. GaU in Switzerland, should have fallen under the 

 influence of Germanic art, and have combined the native Celtic with the foreign 

 Germanic designs. As a matter of fact the two styles were so combined not only 

 in Ireland but in Scotland and England, and generally on the Continent wherever 

 the Celtic and Germanic peoples lived side by side. It may, therefore, be concluded 

 that the Irish illuminated MSS. cannot be taken as the tests of pure Irish, or even 

 of Celtic art, but that a large part of the ornamentation is due to contact with 

 Germanic art. 



4. Notes on Natives of the Kimherley District, Western Australia, 

 By Edward J. Hardman, F.E.G.S.I. 



During two visits to the Kimberley District in the years 1883 and 1884 the 

 author had opportunities of studying the characteristics and customs of the 

 Aborigines. The district is in the extreme tropical portion of Western Australia. 

 The natives, however, differ but little in appearance from other tribes of the 

 Australian continent, except that they are somewhat superior in physique, and 

 appear to be, on the whole, rather more intelligent than the southern races. The 

 initiatory rites of the young men and the marriage laws are peculiarly interesting, 

 and exhibit many differences from those hitherto observed upon. Circumcision 

 and other similar but more severe operations are undergone by the youths, and the 

 females in some parts al^o submit to painful initiatory rites. There are four mar- 

 riage sects — Paljari, Kimera, Bannighu, and Boorungoo — and no member of any 

 one of these sects can marry into it. He or she must marry into another sect 

 concerning which there are rigid rules laid down. Thus Paljari marries Kimera' 

 Bannighu marries Boorungoo, and in both cases the children belong to one of the' 



3 H 2 



