102 



THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 



and shorter race is to be found in the 

 eastern archipelagos and the contiguous 

 parts of the British territory. There 

 seems to have been two distinct migra- 

 tions into these Papuo-Melanesian areas. 

 Compared with the Polynesians the New 

 Guinea folk are inuifferent seamen, and 

 may be more correctly described as an 

 agricultural race. Pottery is made in 

 many parts, and a large quantity is pro- 

 duced in the Fort Moresby district, and 

 traded regularly by water to the West, 

 where sago is given in exchange. Bo^g 

 and arrows are the chief weapon of the 

 Papuans, but are everywhere absent 

 amongst the Melanesian types. These 

 are replaced by stone headed clubs, and 

 palmwood spears, though these latter 

 weapons are not unknown amongst the 

 bow-using people. An immense variety 

 of stone clubs are made, some indicating 

 great skill and patience in their pro- 

 duction. 



The houses of New Guinea vary con- 

 siderably. They are usually erected on 

 piles, and in the east many of the vil- 

 lages are set up on the sea shore, where 

 the tidal waters advance and recede be- 

 low their dwellings. Communal houses 

 to hold more than one family are com- 

 mon. Special club-houses, restricted to 

 the use of the men, are built in many 

 places. In wood carving the Papuan 

 depicts motives of man and animals, 

 while the Papuo-Melanesian in his art 

 favours bird and fish designs. The betel- 

 nut habit is general throughout New 

 Guinea, but kava indulgence is practi- 

 cally unknown. Great attention is paid to 

 the coiffure, and various styles of hair- 

 dressing are adopted. 



A great deal has yet to be learned 

 regarding the inhabitants of New 

 Guinea. Much has been ascertained, but 

 tlie major portion of this large i-sland is 

 still a terra incognita. 



A Seaside Ramble. 



Bv F. L. Grutzmacher, F.C.S.. F.G.S. 

 (A lecture delivered at the Australian Museum. i)th .Tune. 1921. 



Sydney residents are i)artieularly 

 favoured with regard to seashore work. 

 Little work may be done on a shingle 

 beach, for tlie grinding of the stones in 

 the wash of the waves is not favourable 

 to life, and Sydney l)eaclies are not 

 overwhelmingly prolific. l>ut a I'oeky 

 shore such as we have all along our 

 coast is ideal, and all the creatures men- 

 tioned afterwards may ))e found at our 

 front door. 



.IKLLV-PISllES. 



One of the things, however, whicli we 

 often find on the sand is a jelly-fish, 

 and, although on the shore it is rather 

 repulsive, in the water it Ijecomes a 

 most graceful tiling. There is little that 

 is solid about it, for it is mostly water 

 contained by a delicate network, l)ut 

 nevertheless its organisation is more 

 complicated than its Hrst a|)i)ea)ance 

 would indicate. 



Around the circular edge of the top 

 or "umbrella" you may find, as a rule. 



small dents at equal distances apart; 

 these contain pieculiar organs which 

 seem to give the animal a sense of direc- 



Jellyfish; its stinging ten 

 tacles are used to paralyse 

 its prey and also afford pro- 

 tection to the animal itself, 

 and to other creatures such 

 as small fishes, which live 

 ill close association with it. 

 Photo. — A. K. JlcCulloch. 



tion when swimming. This swimming is 

 done by undulatory motion of the "um- 

 brella." The mouth of the jelly-fish is 

 a .fonr-si(le<l opening at the end of a 



