ARMS. 



249 



seen on fig. 155 and also on the original photos of Tugeri bowyers, reproduced by SCHMELTZ 

 [1904, 207, fig. 13], is the "archaic release" of Morse [1885, 37]. Sometimes the little 

 finger does not reach the string, a position which represents a form of tertiary release 

 [1. c, 50]. Cases in which the forefinger is bent above the arrow (HADDON [1890, PI. IX, fig. 1]), 



Fig- 155- Arrow-release; Humboldt Bay. 



I never witnessed. Often, however, the forefinger is not bent round the string, but is held next 

 it or slightly bent along and under the arrow, the string being drawn by the three remaining 

 fingers, as fig. 156 shows. This is in British New Guinea the most usual position, figured (not 

 quite clearly) by HADDON [1. c, fig. 2], so that this writer [1. c, 331], as well as SELIGMANN 

 [1906, 228], rightly speaks of "secondary release" (MORSE [Le, 8, figs. 4 and 5]). 



That the forefinger is entirely inactive, stretched along the arrow as along the pen in 

 writing (BlRO [1901, 106]), or merely serves as a support (HAGEN [1899. 117, PI. 14 and 28]), 

 the arrow being held between the thumb and the 2nd phalange of the middlefinger, I never 

 saw on Netherl. territory. Both thèse writers compare this position with the Mediterranean 

 release (MORSE [Le, 13, figs. 8 and 9], a comparison which is not in accord with the illustra- 

 tions of Hagex, and incorrect in so far as, that by the Mediterranean release the thumb does 

 no work at ail, whilst the proximal end of the arrow must hâve a notch, which is missing in ail 

 New Guinea arrows. According to PLEYTE [1891, 278, fig. 4], the Papuans of Doré and adjacent 

 villages use the primary release; in this, however, PLEYTE is wrong (see fig. 156), — the 

 Nova Guinea. III. Ethnography. 32 



