884 The American Naturalist. [October, 
Hieroglyphs like those of the tablets also appear on the door- 
posts, slabs, and in other places. Near the platforms and houses 
are many curiously-carved stones, sometimes on rock masses and 
again detached grotesque carvings. Fig. 7 represents one of the 
latter. 
The Natives. — The natives number at present about 155; 
it is supposed that on the discovery of the island by Roggeween 
in 1722 there were 20,000. Having lived so long in isolation, 
they were peculiarly ill-adapted to stand the pressure of a higher 
civilization. Their history for the past 1 50 years has been one 
of constant wars : some have 
X said that missionaries were the 
^ cause, and that during these 
T^ strifes the monuments were 
'■^^ thrown down. Chili impressed 
'^^ several ship-loads of natives 
"^ - V as coolies some years ago. 
The remnant are pure Poly- 
nesians ; their language, arts, 
.aid religion are those common ; 
to that stock. They make 
tapa, or mulberry bark cloth, 
for clothing, and plaited mats 
^1(^.7. oRuihbyuh. CAKvi.NG IN ^f bulrushes to sleep upon. 
Stone, Easter Island. In Mr. Thomson's collection 
(From specimens in U.S. National Museum.) ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^ CrownleSS 
hats made of the feathers of fowls. There are six different 
Styles. The hat worn by the dancing women is small and 
narrow, with feathers of bright color overlapping all the way 
around. The married women's hat, worn upon the ceremony 
connected with a bethrothal, is broad, made of black feathers 
about six inches long, clipped evenly all the way around. 
The men at their food feasts wore a small hat of feathers, with 
long tail feathers hanging behind. The hat of the chief, worn 
as an insignia of office, is large and heavy, clipped evenly, the 
back ornamented with the largest and finest feathers to be had. 
The minor officials and chiefs {ex officio) wear a lighter hat, made 
