376 Some Ethnological Suggestions
Fig. 19a. Design of frigate-bird engraved on bamboo,
from New Georgia, Solomon Islands. Fig 20. Pictograph of flying frigate-bird in profile,
Easter Island, for comparison with Fig. 20a. Similar design engraved on a lime gourd,
New Georgia. Fig. 21. Pictograph of double-headed frigate-bird,
Easter Island,^ for comparison with Fig. 21^. Pearl-shell pendant in form of double-headed
frigate-bird from New Georgia. Fig. 22. Pictograph of frigate-bird depicted with one fore-limb represented as a normal wing and the other as a human arm holding up a fish, Easter Island, for comparison with Fig. 22a. Design of frigate-bird similarly represented with one normal wing and the other converted into a human arm and hand holding a fish ; carved on a dancing paddle from the Solomon Islands. This is, I think, a most striking instance of exact paral- lelism. The symbolism in the two designs must surely be identical ! From the frequency with which the frigate-bird appears in the Easter Island script, it seems probable that the script itself originated in the Melanesian area and was perfected in Easter Island while the memory of this bird and of its cult-associations still persisted. The newer bird-cult connected with the tern seems to have had but little influence upon the script.
Bird-headed human figures abound in the Easter Island script, as, for instance, Fig. 23, Pictograph of very progna- thous human being, in profile, seated and with hand raised, for comparison with Fig. 23a. Similar design but repre- sented with frigate-bird's head (Kesoko), cut upon bamboo, from Mungeri district. New Georgia {cf. Fig. 9). Figures 24
^Compare rock-sculpture figured by W. J. Thomson, Rep. A^at. Alits.y 1 89 1, pi. xxiii.
