Tarawa, a Micronesian Atoll. Olwyn M. Rutherford. The extreme limitation of the resources of Tarawa, an atoll in the Gilbert Group, was described to provide an example of the simplicity and modification imposed upon a culture by a restricted environment. Shortage of timber and lack of variety in diet have developed ingenuity and ability in the exploitation of limited materials. Coconut and pandanus, which comprise the major part of the scanty vegetation, form an important element in every activity and product in the community. A limited amount of dryland taro is the only cultivated vegetable. Dependence upon the sea for the animal food supply is an important influence in the life of the people. The greatest example of modification is seen in canoe design, which has developed to a stage far beyond that common where large trees are obtainable. Under the stimulus of the necessity of using short, narrow timbers, a boat has been evolved unequalled anywhere in the Pacific for speed and grace.

Maori Wooden Bowls. A. G. Stevenson. The paper described some 40 examples of wooden bowls in the Auckland Museum Collection. Within New Zealand great variety of form is disclosed, ranging from crudely hollowed out logs to well finished examples. It is not possible on present knowledge to relate any given type of bowl to a particular locality. The wood most commonly employed, though not exclusively, was totara. Unusual types were represented by a four-legged specimen from Motiti Island and a specimen from Hauraki Plains, in which the bowl rests on four peculiarly looped feet. Smaller utensils of various shapes were numerous, some being used for pouring and others as platters. Of the former, most possess a spout carved out of the solid. Decoration, though not general, was usually confined to handles and spouts. An example from Waikato has the spout carved in the form of a head with a wide-open mouth. The handles of a Taranakian bowl have both been carved to represent conventionalised human faces.