Among the different phases of the moon’s light two stand out with especial prominence--the first appearance of the crescent of the new moon in the evening twilight, and the full moon. Both events are joyfully greeted and celebrated among many peoples, in particular the appearance of the new moon, the full moon also, but not so often. The explanation of this fact must partly lie in the circumstance that the full moon does not suddenly appear like the new moon, but fills its disc gradually, so that the days of full moon are more numerous, instead of being one exactly determined day like the day of the new moon. Hence there may be a counting of the months in new moons instead of a continuous reckoning in moons, as when the natives of the Solomon Islands count the months which must elapse before the funeral feast by making a notch in a stick or a knot in a rope at the appearance of the new moon[639]. The hailing of the new moon with joy is wide-spread[640]. The Dieri of Australia relate that there was once no moon, so that the old men held a council and a Mura-mura gave them the moon; in order that they might know when to hold their ceremonies, he gave them a new moon at certain intervals[641]. Heathen Eskimos in West Greenland celebrate at every new moon a feast with a performance of the sorceror, an extinguishing of lamps, and the barter of women[642]. The Patagonians welcome the new moon by patting their heads and murmuring an incantation[643]. Certain tribes of North America at the eagerly expected appearance of the new moon uttered loud cries and stretched out their hands towards it[644]. The Natchez of Louisiana at every new moon celebrated a feast which took its name from the principal fruits reaped in the preceding moon, or from the animals that were usually hunted then[645]. In the villages of Port Moresby (British New Guinea) the people at the first sight of the new moon give a prolonged somewhat shrill cry which is taken up by all and repeated in chorus: there is no mention of any time-reckoning[646]. On the southern side of Dutch New Guinea we learn that the first sight of the new moon was signalised by a short sharp bark rather than a shout. Several times on the day following the first sight of the new moon our authority noticed that a spear decorated with white feathers was exposed in a conspicuous place in the village. The author states that he is unable to say whether this custom had any connection with the calendar[647]. In Buin at the appearance of the quarter (_sic!_) of the new moon the people immediately utter the ‘war-cry’, ‘so that the new moon may not break the cocoa-nuts’. When the new moon comes up, the people of Buin trill with their under-lip, plucking at it with the forefinger and at the same time sending out a high note (‘_a_’). In Lambutjo the people howl and strike themselves on the mouth with their hands, at the same time uttering ‘_a_’, so that a kind of quacking is heard. On the Gazelle Peninsula the natives put