Battye is replying to Dr. Pulleine of 3 North Terrace, Adelaide, S.A. regarding his request for information about ethno-botany and 'bones said to be used by the natives of Western Australia for climbing trees.'
Battye includes information provided by Glauert, the Keeper of Ethnology.
Glauert says the only work he knows regarding ethno-botany is Maiden's "Useful Native plants of Australia."
Glauert has not heard of the emu bone implement.
Instead Glauert makes mention of reports about a doublel headed axe with a pointed handle for climbing trees.
Pulleine was a phsician and naturalist. Pulleine developed a consuming interest in botany, anthropology, marine biology, history, entomology and, specifically, arachnology.
He belonged to 18 learned societies, ranging from the American Cactus Society to the Linnean Society of London, and including the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia and the Royal and Anthropological societies of South Australia; he was president of
In his pamphlet, Physiology and Mental Observations on the Australian Aborigines (Adelaide, 1930), he refuted contemporary publications degrading the Aborigine as unintelligent, with crude beliefs and repulsive practices, representing 'the most primitive
PDF available for WAM staff only.
See: File A13-73-1 Anthropology - Aboriginal cultural materials
SeeAlso: A13-73-1-99
