4 PAPUAN MOSQUITO NET.— HAMLYN-H APHIS. 
7 
A PAPUAN MOSQUITO NET. 
By R. Hamlyn-Harris, D.Sc. (Director), 
(Plate III.) 
During his term of office as Administrator of British New Guinea, His 
Excellency the Governor of Queensland, Sir William MacGregor, whilst on a 
visit to the Mekeo District, came across a native mosquito ‘ ‘ net 7 7 erected in one 
of the houses, and was fortunate enough to secure it for the famous MacGregor 
collection which he made and w r hich is now housed in the Queensland Museum 
in Brisbane. 
The “ net 77 takes the form and shape of a bag, 15 ft. 5 in. long by 5 ft. 
3 in. wide, and is suspended with cords from the rafters of the native houses 
somewhat in the fashion shown in the figure, Plate No. 111. Long strips of 
cocoanut bark, that withered portion so common around the blossoms and the 
leaves, are sewn together, and closed on three sides, the fourth being available 
for entrance and exit. This u net, 77 though suspended, rests in the main on 
the floor of the houses on native mats, the frayed edges of the entrance closing 
automatically and sufficiently to act as an effective bar to mosquitoes. 
The heat and closeness of the interior must be intense, since practically 
no ventilation is possible, and the bag is used by the various members of the 
family who repose there for the night. 
The writer is indebted to His Excellency for kindly drawing his attention 
to this rare and unique specimen and for the assistance given in deciding its 
identity, which had been lost many years ago. It is no wonder that such should 
have been the case, for one would never think of recognising, in this cocoanut 
fibre bag, so useful an article as a native mosquito “ net. 77 Ilis Excellency does 
not recollect ever having seen another of its kind, and tells me that the par- 
ticular part of Mekeo where the “ net 77 was actually in use — one of the villages 
on the river — was so infested with mosquitoes that devices had to be invented 
to prevent great suffering to the natives. He remembers that the boys w r ho 
worked his boat up the river had to wrap up their limbs and take other pre- 
cautions against the attacks of these pests ; and so it is not to be wondered at 
that the Papuans of that part should construct such a serviceable protection for 
themselves whilst asleep. In this connection it may not be out of place to recall 
