Ethnological studies among the North-West-Central Queensland aborigines / by Walter E. Roth.

  • Roth, Walter Edmund.
Date:
1897
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ethnological studies among the North-West-Central Queensland aborigines / by Walter E. Roth. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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sinuous progression. A carpet snake is shown at repose in Fig. 61, with its head, the thumb, raised from within the centre of its coils. The fact of drawing atten- tion to the colouration of the snout conveys the idea of a black-headed snake in Fig. 02. In the ideagram for a frog (Fig. 63), the “ jump,’’coupled with the outstretched fingers (its toes), is unmistakeable. 78. Notes to Illustrations. Fig. 53. Lizards, Iguanas : any small species. — Oscillatory motion at wrist— rapidity of animal’s movements. P.P., Bo., Ula., Won., \Val., Und., (Kal.). (Among the Pitta-Pitta blacks the initial position of this ideagram also holds good for a particular fish, a species of black bream: the final, however, is a quick to-and-fro short lateral movement at elbow—see Fig. 64.) Fig. 54. Lizards, Iguanas: in general.—Fingers and thumb all extended, and in close apposition : vibratory, &c., motion at wrist. Kal., Mit., Woo., Goa. Fig. 5 5. Lizards, Iguanas : in general.—Forefinger tip and thumb touching, the remaining fingers being extended ; similar movement to preceding. (P.P.), (Bo.), Ula., Won., Wal., Und., (Kal.), (Mit.). Among the Kalkadoons, any large kangaroo is represented by the same initial position, but the subsequent one consists in a wrist-flexion and forwards motion to express the amimal’s “ hop.” (Cf. Fig. 24.) Fig. 56. Iguana : large species in general.—The elbow, strongly flexed, is held out laterally on a level with the shoulder, the wrist rotated inwards : the idea of drawing attention to the wobbling twisting gait is expressed by the rotation of the wrist outwards. P.P., Bo., Ula., (Kal.), (Mit.). Fig. 57. Snake : in general.—The closed fist and forearm express the head aud body respectively: the course of the arm on same plane forwards, outwards, and backwards indicates the sinuous track of the animal. P.P., Bo., Ula., Won., Wal., Und., (Mit.), Woo., Goa. Fig. 58. Snake: in general.— The forefinger here indicates the animal, while the wrist-rotation and simultaneous forwards motion of the arm express the course of its progression. Kal., Mit. (With the Kalkadoons this ideagram means rather any land snake in general as opposed to the ideagram of Fig. 60.) Fig. 59. Snake : in general.—Finger-tips touching top of palm, which is held on a level with the face, palm turned towards signaller : the movement is more or less of an ellipse. (There is strong suspicion that this ideagram also often indicates a water snake—cf. Fig. 60.) (P.P.), (Bo.), (Ula.), (Won.), (Wal.), Und., (Mit.). Fig. 60. Water snake.—Hand and forearm again signify the animal’s head and body: the head is out of the water, and revolving from side to side as the creature swims along. Kal. Fig. 61. Carpet snake (Morelia variegata).—The head, standing erect from within the centre of the coils, is shown by the thumb protruding from between the closed fore and middle fingers. P.P., Bo., Ula., (Und.), Kal., (Mit.). Fig. 62. Black-lieaded snake.—The signaller is trying to draw attention to the black snout of the creature. P.P., Bo., Ula., Won., (Mit.). Fig. 63. Frog.—The hand, with closed thumb and fingers, is thrust forwards and downwards, while at the same time all the digits are extended and separated : the jump with the webbed feet. P.P., Bo., Ula., Won., Wal., Und., Kal., (Mit.). 79. Fish.—With two exceptions, all the signs to denote fish—no matter what the initial position of the hand—are executed with a more or less rapid side-to-side oscillatory or vibratory movement from the elbow, the wrist being fixed: this serves to show the appearance which these creatures offer when observed through the ripples on the water-surface. {Cf. this movement with that already described in connection with lizards, iguanas, &c., sect. 77.) The various initial positions of the hand itself in Figs. 64, 65, 66, 67 have been described to me as signifying the tail, the fins, &c. In the case of Fig. 68, one of the two exceptions