IMFLEMENTS OF SUFEESTITION AND MAGIC.— 11 AMLYN-JIAEEIS. 
5 
From the aborigines of the Roper 
River district, the AYongalarra tribe (Ura- 
punga), Northern Territory, where death- 
bones are usually of the smaller variety, 
comes a ceremojiial head-dress collected by 
llv. At. J. Colchmgh in ]909, carrying in its 
interior a death-bone, the presence of which 
is entirely unhnoAvii to anyone save the 
owner. When the plume is no longer in 
use the .death-bone is placed in its bark 
sheath and secreted away. (Q. AL Specimen 
No. E 11/30 a.) Plate Figure 1, demon- 
strates a Burdekin River specimen of a 
death-bone in a bark sheath, bound with 
liuman hair and securely fastened with 
native gum, ]>oth ends of the sheath being 
provided with tufts of emu feathers. The 
sheath of such a specimen as this is really 
intended as a disguise, and- as the bone is 
securely fasttmed with gum one woiild 
naturally suppose that it Avould not be 
withdraAvn except on special occasions. In 
reality, this is the ease. Only .at great 
ceremonies — arranged to settle all kinds of 
disputes — would such a death-bone be 
opened up and used, to be again sealed 
securely after the affair was over. Text- 
figure 1 is a radiograph^ of this implement 
showing the outlines of the death-bone in 
its interior; the bone probably represents 
the proximal end. of an emu tibia with part 
of the fibula in position, the upper portion 
being anchylosed. This death-bone is 
typical of a more elaborate implement than 
is usually used in Queensland. Specimens 
of this sort are rare. (Q. AI. Specimen No. 
QE 14/558.) 
® I would here like to acknowledge my indebtedness to Dr. Doyle for his kindness in 
making the radiograph for me. — U.H.H. 
