ROCK PAINTINGS ON THE WEST COAST OF THE GULF OF CARPENTARIA.—Mr. Norman R. Tindale in vol. 3, part 3, of the Records of the South Australian Museum, in the course of the second part of his account of the natives of Groote Eylandt and the west coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria, discusses their pictorial art. They use four pigments—red, yellow, black and white. Three of these—white kaolin, yellow, a limonite and black, manganese oxide and clay—are found locally. The red pigment—a hæmatite—is obtained by trade from the interior of Arnhem Island in the country of the Rembarunga, who pass it on to various other tribes. It is much valued and used in colouring utensils, weapons, ceremonial objects, canoes, apparel, orna ments and persons. The pigments are produced by rubbing on a stone. The starchy liquid obtained by bruising the fleshy stems of various tree orchids is sometimes used instead of water for mixing, because it gives adhesive qualities to the colours. Brushes are either chewed sticks, pieces of bark, or pieces of leather one inch long fastened to a handle of the same length with gum or wax. Two or more colours are sometimes superimposed or mixed to give a special effect or tint, such as salmon colour. The designs are in most cases built up of dots and straight lines with occasional circles and other geometric combinations. No meaning is now known for the geometric designs, but sometimes the well-defined form of an animal is the central object. Tracing designs and pictures on the ground is a common amusement around the camp fire. Tracks of animals and birds are also cleverly imitated. During the enforced leisure of the wet season, designs are painted on the walls of rock-shelters and of the bark huts. The Ingura cave- and hut-paintings usually relate to sailing canoes, dugongs, turtles, fishes, parties of human figures, and hunting scenes. Hands are depicted by coating the rock with red clay on which the hand is imposed and used as a stencil, the outline being shown in white with kaolin.