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THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



tion is now available it appears that the Maori did not habitually 

 preserve in this way the heads of slain foes, but that the custom 

 of doing so arose when a demand for the heads by white traders 

 sprang up with European intercourse. 



It may be interesting at this stage to glance at a few analogous 

 customs amongst people of other parts of the world. Head- 

 hunting, amongst savage races, is by no means an uncommon 

 proceeding. In Africa, New Guinea, and elsewhere, tribes have 

 been known as " head-hunters," from the custom prevailing 

 amongst them of securing the heads of their slain enemies, which, 

 after being divested of the flesh, were preserved as trophies. 



In the island of Mallicollo, in the New Hebrides, the entire 

 body, I understand, was sometimes preserved. A mummy of 

 this kind was taken from Mallicollo to Fiji by a labour schooner. 

 Unfortunately, the parties into whose hands it fell did not think 

 it worth taking care of, the skull which I have here being the 

 only part that was preserved ; it was given to me by the gentle- 

 man in whose possession I noticed it. The peculiar characteristic 

 elongation of the skull, produced by compressing the head of the 

 infant with bandages, is well marked in this specimen, and 

 especially when put alongside of typical Fijian skulls such as I 

 exhibit. I have seen many natives of Mallicollo, their long heads, 

 caused by this early compression, being very noticeable and 

 interesting. 



The Melbourne Science and Art Museum possesses a highly 

 interesting specimen of a preserved chief's head from Port Sand- 

 wich, Mallicollo Island, mounted on an artificial body, and used 

 as a memorial of the departed chief. It is described as a head 

 dried and put on a carved statue, painted and decorated, and put 

 up so that the dead chief may still look on departed friends. 

 Native name -Same/ (j=tch) Pipise. "^«me/" means "people 

 dead," and is a word used to represent souls or spirits ; " Pipise," 

 to tie or fasten, as the arrow head to the shaft. Such specimens 

 as this are most valuable, and are becoming increasingly scarce 

 and unobtainable. 



In the Australian Museum, Sydney, there is a very curious 

 specimen — the dried skin of the head of a native of Fly River, 

 New Guinea. The bones appear to have been entirely removed, 

 and the skin stuffed and dried. In the same museum is a fine 

 specimen of a dried head of a native of Lord Howe's Group. 

 This head is quite as well preserved as the Maori specimens ; the 

 features are very clear and distinct, and have a peculiar pallor of 

 complexion as compared with Maori heads, which is probably 

 due to some difference in the method of preserving. 



Brough Smyth in his " Aborigines of Australia " gives much 

 interesting information regarding the customs of the Australian 

 aborigines in preserving bodies and parts of bodies. Mothers 



