296 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Artsand Letters. 
face, except for the median line of red. A start is again made 
for the camp* with the Alatunja at the head. 
The old man who has been left in charge of the camp has 
built a long, narrow wurley, called an U mb ana, which is in¬ 
tended to represent the chrysalis case from which the Mae gw a, 
or fully developed insect, emerges. When the old man sees 
the party approaching, he. steps out and sings: 
“Ilkna pung Kwai, Yaalan ni nai, Yu mulk la, Ya.an tai 
yaa lai.” 1 
The party all enter the Umbana. They then begin to sing 
of the animal in its various stages, of the ATknalinta stone and 
the great Maegwa at its base. As soon as the performers enter 
the wurley, the Puvula and Kumara (i. e. those who belong to 
the other half of the tribe) men and women, lie face down¬ 
wards, and in this position they must remain until they are 
given permission to arise. The singing continues for some 
time, then the Alatunja in a squatting position shuffles out of 
the Umbana, gliding slowly along over the space in front, 
which has been cleared for a distance of some yards. He is 
followed by all the mien, who sing of the emerging of the 
Maegwa from its case, the Umbana, Slowly they shuffle out 
and back again, until all are once more in the wurley, when 
the singing ceases, and food and water are brought to them by 
the old man who had remained in camp and built the Umbana. 
When it is dusk they leave the wurley, and go to a fire, sing¬ 
ing of the grub. This is kept up until a little before day¬ 
break, and during all that time the women of the right moiety 
(who had been allowed to rise) must stand peering about in 
the darkness, to see if the women of the other moiety, over 
whom they are supposed to keep watch, continue to lie down. 
They also peer about watching the Intichiuma party, just as 
the women did in the Alcheringa (i. e. in the fabulous times to 
which the myth refers). Suddenly the singing ceases, and 
the fire is quickly put out by the Alatunja. This is the signal 
for the release of the Purula and Kumara men and women, 
i The authors do not translate these words. They are probably 
meaningless. 
