386 Field Museum of Natural History — Reports, Vol. IV. 



industries of the natives. The maniifacture of tapa, an industry 

 common throughout the whole of the South Seas, is well illustrated 

 by numerous specimens of the implements used in the process, as 

 well as by a great variety of finished product. Fourteen cases of 

 New Hebrides material make an exhibit fairly representative of the 

 ctilture of these islands, many of which have now almost completely 

 lost their original features. The collections are most complete from 

 Malekula, the largest and least known of the whole New Hebrides group. 

 In this island alone over twenty languages are spoken, and the culture 

 is by no means uniform. The collection illustrating the ceremonial and 

 religious life of this people, — consisting of carved images, masks, pre- 

 pared skulls, and figures of the dead, — ^is imusually complete. The 

 various types of weapons employed by the tribe are also well illustrated, 

 though many forms still remain to be represented. The Admiralty 

 Island collection now occupies fourteen cases, while a considerable 

 portion of it is not yet placed on exhibition. This collection is notable 

 for the wealth in objects characteristic of the high degree of skill reached 

 by these people in wood carving and decorative art. Particularly 

 striking are the huge drums, finely carved food-bowls, some of them 

 four feet in diameter, decorated wooden beds, and numerous carved 

 images of various sizes, — all manifesting a well-developed artistic sense. 

 There are several series showing the variations of design from realistic 

 to conventional and geometrical stages, such as displayed by the forms 

 of decorations on spears, daggers, and combs. Interesting groups of 

 decorative elements are also seen in their personal ornaments, among 

 which are included over 300 breast ornaments of shell and tortoise-shell, 

 all different in decorative design despite the uniformity of type, and 

 presenting excellent source-material for the study of variability of 

 ornamental forms. There is also shown an extensive series of shell- 

 bead dancing-aprons, which are rare. The process in the making of 

 these shell beads is illustrated by numerous specimens in the consecutive 

 stages of the work. Methods of fishing, including that of fishing by 

 means of flying kites from canoes, which is restricted to a few localities, 

 and the manner of preparing articles of food, are likewise shown, to- 

 gether with models of various types of canoes. Worthy of particular 

 mention are the four remarkable feather masks from Hansa Bay, New 

 Guinea, presented by the late Mr. Joseph N. Field, and now placed on 

 exhibition in the East Court. The Melanesian collections, thus briefly 

 outlined in their main contents, have been assembled in Halls 2 and 3, 

 which were thrown open to the public in the beginning of November. 

 In addition to the installation and labeling of cases, much work has 

 been accomplished by Assistant Curator Lewis in overhauling and sorting 



