Mention has already been made of the bamboo jews’-harp, an instrument which seems common to all the tribes. Besides this, the Taiyal and Tsuou tribes have two other musical instruments, the nose-flute and the musical bow. It is possible that these may be used by other tribes, but I think not commonly so; certainly I have not found them elsewhere than among the Taiyal and Tsuou. And with these tribes the nose-flute is used only by the men; it seems semi-sacred in character, as it is played only on festive occasions, usually when celebrating a victory over another tribe or tribal unit. Not even a priestess will play upon a nose-flute; to do so would be “bad form.” Playing upon this instrument is the exclusive prerogative of the sterner sex--as much so as is the decapitation of enemies, with the celebration of which it seems closely connected. The musical bow also is usually played by men, although priestesses occasionally use it as an accompaniment to their chanting during ceremonials connected with harvest festivals, and on similar occasions. In the way of personal adornment, women of all the tribes wear, in addition to the wire bracelets which have previously been referred to, necklaces made of small rectangular bits of bone, carefully polished and strung together on sinews. These bits of bone are usually cut from the femur of the tiny Formosan deer, with which the mountains abound. The Yami women also wear necklaces made of seeds, and sometimes of shells.[95] The most conspicuous adornments of the women, however, are the tubes of bamboo inserted through holes cut in the lobes of the ears; brightly coloured yarn--when this can be obtained; when not, dried grass--being thrust into the bamboo, forming a sort of rosette at each end of the ear-tube. This is considered highly ornamental by the tribes-people; the larger the bamboo that the lobe of the ears will support without being torn through, the more is its owner admired. FOOTNOTES: [86] See illustration. [87] See illustration. [88] See p. 124. [89] Rats and mice are a greater curse on Botel Tobago than on the main island of Formosa, as on the former there are not--or certainly were not, up to a very short time ago--either dogs or cats. An opportunity for a twentieth-century Dick Whittington suggests itself, although the reward of the modern Dick Whittington would probably consist of flowers and sweet potatoes--possibly of boiled millet, wrapped in banana-leaves. [90] See Part I, p. 41. [91] See p. 125. [92] See illustration of author in the dress of a woman of the Taiyal tribe. [93] Cloth thus ornamented with crimson yarn is reserved for the making of coats and blankets for successful warriors and hunters. [94] See illustration of Ami woman making pottery. [95] See illustration. CHAPTER XI TATTOOING AND OTHER FORMS OF MUTILATION