The wild pig is often a dangerous animal. It was probably this
consideration that gave the man that killed the first pig in a hunt certain
rights to his friend's wife in some tribes. In the arrow country he is
shot with an arrow bearing a dagger-shaped point of bamboo, which, from
the curved shape of the blade, greatly hastens the loss of blood from
the animal. At the foot of the Mekeo range the pig is caught in a
most elaborate trap, in passing through which he touches a delicately
balanced trigger, which lets fall on him from above a crushing platform
or weight from which escape is impossible. Pitfalls are also used for
the pig. The pig is hunted with dogs, received on a small net not
much larger than the man-catcher, and is then speared. If caught
alive, pigs are kept in fences till needed for a feast. The wallaby is
hunted by dogs, driven into nets, and speared. This is always done
at night in some districts. Birds are caught in extended nets by
the mountaineers. The reed and the blunt arrow have not been seen.
The young of the mound-building birds are secured by putting a small
fence round the mound, over which the young bird cannot jump.
Ground-feeding birds are sometimes caught, as in Eossel Island, by a
small cage-like house in which some food is put, with a movable door
and a long string, by which a concealed native can shut the door when



BRITISH NEW GUINEA. 71

a bird enters. The Papuan has no skill in tracking either game or man,
but he is sharp at seeing birds or game when near to them.
