Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 11, 1900.djvu/199

 Rh On the other hand, some of the implements show considerable skill in stone chipping.

As an example of the improvement of the second edition over the first, we may take the section on "Fire." In an appendix the author comes to the conclusion that only the stick-and-groove method of making fire was undoubtedly used; the fire-drill process is doubtful, although two reputed Tasmanian specimens of fire-drill and socket-stick are known and figured by him.

Mr. Roth writes: "It is said that in straightening their spears the natives used their teeth as a vice to hold them." It is a pity Mr. Roth did not give a copy of, or even allude to, the spirited etching of an unmistakable Tasmanian doing this very thing, which was "etched and published by B. Duterrau, August 24, 1835, Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land." This must surely have been amongst the earliest of Australasian engravings.

Additions have been made in the linguistic section of the book and also in that dealing with physical anthropology or anthropography. The following is Mr. Roth's opinion concerning the origin and affinities of the Tasmanians: "It would therefore appear that, from comparisons made between Tasmanians and Negritos, we find close relationship as regards the osteology, the hair, and the language, and we are, perhaps, not far wrong in concluding that this Nigritic stock once peopled the whole of the Australian continent and Tasmania, until annihilated and partly assimilated by the invaders now known as Australians . . . we find Tasmanoid features (hair, shape of skull, unground stone implements) amongst the Australians, but no Australoid features (lank or curly hair, throwing stick, hafted ground stone implements, boomerangs, and shields) among the Tasmanians."

The artistic autotype plates of the first edition have been replaced by excellent, but less pleasing, half-tone blocks, otherwise the second edition is a decided improvement on the first, and Mr. Roth is to be complimented on having further earned the gratitude of anthropologists and also on having produced a volume which is well printed and illustrated.