ating from the central pit. In some, the central pits are small, whereas others are large. Of the 27 ornaments, 25 are divided into two balls. Of the remaining two, one is a single ball and the other has a notch on the under surface which does not extend far upward on the sides (fig. 58, d, e).
The nine animal figures have heads with pointed snouts, most of which are notched at the end to represent a mouth. The ears are represented by a raised vertical flange, which is continuous over the top of the head. Eyes are not represented. Behind the ear flange is another raised flange which is continuous over the back of the neck, descends vertically down both sides, and projects downward on the under surface to give the appearance of the front feet. The body is elongated and slender and ends in two short hind legs and a short, vertical, truncated tail. Each hind leg is perforated from side to side to take the suspensory cord. The upper surface of the truncated tail is usually pitted in the center. In some figures, the tail stump has an outer projecting rim which, with the central pit, resembles the lug of the ball ornaments from which the technique was probably copied as an artistic finish rather than for suspension (fig. 58, h-l).
The origin of the animal motif in the necklace ornaments is extremely puzzling. As neither the dog nor the pig was present in Mangaia, the choice of a local animal as an art motif was of necessity restricted to the rat. Some of the more slender figures are not unlike a rat except for the tail. The truncated tail certainly conveys the impression of an amputated tail, and the trimming of a long tail would have incurred waste of valuable material. How-page 113ever , a similar animal motif occurs in Rurutu in the neighboring Austral Islands. The possibility of diffusion from Rurutu is discussed on page 440.
The four miscellaneous figures are somewhat rectangular in form and the narrow upper edge has a perforated suspension lug at each end. All four are grooved horizontally on the front surface to form ridges, some of which are notched. One figure in a British Museum necklace is plain on the back, and I assume that the other three, of which I have photographs of the front side only, likewise have plain backs (fig. 58, m-q).
The different motifs alternate on the suspensory cord. Thus, four plates are placed so that three other motifs, such as the ball figures, come in the intervening spaces and another motif, such as the animal, is placed at either end so that the total of nine is completed. The two Cambridge University necklaces, depart from this arrangement in that there are five plates, two coming together at one end.
The method of seizing the suspensory cord to the foundation element is shown in figure 59.
Figure 59.—Attachment of necklace ornaments: end loop (1) of foundation element of sennit; foundation seized with human-hair braid (2) which covers end of suspensory coir cord (3) and so fixes it to foundation. At appropriate distance (4), suspensory cord is lifted and threaded through hole in neck of ball ornament (5); the hair braid continues its seizing turns (6) for a little over width of ornament lug, when suspensory cord is laid against foundation and seizing turns (7) continue over it to correct distance for next ornament. Cord is picked up and threaded through left lug of four-sided ornament; two or three seizing turns are made and suspensory cord returned to foundation; two or three seizing turns are made over it when it is again picked up and threaded through right lug of ornament; two or three seizing turns are made and suspensory cord returned to foundation where it is covered with seizing turns until interval (9) for next ornament is reached. Suspensory cord is picked up and passed through holes in hind legs of animal ornaments (10); some seizing turns are made and cord is returned to foundation, thus suspending animal ornament head down with its back to the front. Seizing turns continue until next interval is reached. The other ornaments are attached in same manner. The three elements o