200 AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [n. s„ i, 1899
ment of a Gallo-Roman museum, to which Mortillet was attached and to which he devoted his energies until 1885, when he resigned in con- sequence of his election to the national legislature. He also took an active part in the proceedings of the Association Francaise pour TAvancement des Sciences, the Socie'te' d'Anthropologie, and many con- gresses and meetings of anthropologists and archeologists. A memoir of his life, together with a bibliography prepared by his colleague femile Cartailhac, is published in the September-October (1898) num- ber of IS Anthropologic, Paris.
A. S. Gatschet.
m
Korean Crossbow and Arrow-tube — The Koreans have a de- vice for shooting short arrows with a bow, the draw of which is too long for the purpose. This device, hitherto undescribed, is called sal- tong, "arrow-tube," and consists of a tube of bamboo having a narrow strip removed throughout its length. One end of the tube is fastened to the wrist of the archer, the other end rests on the hand grasping the bow ; the arrow is set on the bowstring with the head slanting into the slot, and tube and arrow are drawn back together. On the release of the string the arrow is discharged through the tube, and simultaneously the tube, having been drawn back past its support, falls down. There is a suggestion here as to the origin of the crossbow. The latter weapon is known to the Koreans, who call it U-bak-sal. It is a rapid- fire weapon, shooting four or five arrows in succession like the Chinese crossbow. The principal use of the crossbow was in war, although sometimes it was employed by hunters. The arrows were dipped in vegetal poison, the plant from which it was derived not being known
to my informant, Mr Kiu Beung Surh.
Walter Hough.
Among the Murray Islanders of Torres straits the only native numerals are neiat (one) and nets (two). Any higher numbers would be described either by reduplication, e.g., nets net at y lit. two-one for three ; neis-i-ncis, lit. two- two for four, etc., or by reference to some part of the body. By the latter method a total of thirty-one could be counted. The counting commenced at the little finger of the left hand, thence counting the digits, wrist, elbow, armpit, shoulder, hollow above the clavicle, thorax, and thence in reverse order down the right arm, ending with the little finger of the right hand. This gives twenty-one. The toes are then resorted to, and these give ten more. Beyond this number the term gaire (many) would be used ; and if it was necessary to be exact, kupe, or tallies, would be used. — Hunt in your, Anthrop. Inst., n. s., vol. 1, p. 13, London, 1898.
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