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RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 
SPEARS WITH INCISED ORNAMENT. 
By R. Etheridge, Junr., Curator. 
In 1897, I fully described* an Australian Spear with incised 
ornament, extending nearly the whole length of the weapon. I 
further commented on the rarity of this form of sculpture amongst 
Aboriginal spears, and the general absence of illustrations in 
works of reference. In working through the store collection of 
Ethnology, I met with four additional examples, so far similar, 
that nearly the entire surfaces are covered with ornamental 
incisions, but all differing in the motive, and three of them greatly 
so, from the spear referred to. 
The first is of the same length as the already described specimen, 
viz., eleven feet nine inches, but lacks the colour bands near the 
point or apex. The serpentine longitudinal grooves are five 
instead of six in number, and extend from within two feet three 
inches of the point, and nine inches of the butt. The grooves are 
toothed in a similar manner, but instead of the serrations looking 
backwards, i.g., towards the butt, they are presented forwards 
towards the point of the weapon ) furthermore, the interstices 
between the serpentine grooves are occupied by Y-shaped and 
bird’s feet (“ broad arrow ”) incisions, or simple oblique nicks, 
arranged with a certain degree of order, like with like. The 
ornament at the butt is finished off by four feather-like incised 
tags, consisting of a central groove margined by oblique nicks, 
reminding one of the feathered shaft of an arrow. This spear is 
said to have come from the Paroo River District, but from which 
side of the border I am unable to say. 
The three remaining spears are much shorter weapons, being 
each a trifle over seven feet in length. On the first the sculpture 
is spiral, consisting of two bands, extending from the butt to within 
two feet of the point. The bands are each defined by two grooves, 
the interspaces being cross incised, thus giving them greater 
prominence and effect, but the apical two feet is variously occupied. 
First, proceeding upwards from the termination of the spiral 
bands, a rude representation of the human form is seen, with 
one arm only, and above this an oval body, both infilled with 
cross incisions. These are succeeded by sundry serpentine and 
meandering bands similar to the spiral already described. The 
interspaces are occupied by Y-shaped incisions, oblique nicks, and 
what not. 
Rec. Aust. Hus., iii., 1, 1897, p. 6. 
