in the Ikmin river valley. Here
the stream flows swiftly and plunges headlong into pools every few
yards. The rattan cord attached to the clappers is fastened to a small
raft which is then set afloat in the pool. After a whirl in the eddy
it is caught by the swift current, and is carried a few feet down
stream, at the same time bending the clappers nearly to the ground;
then as the raft enters calmer water, the tension is released, and it
is thrown violently back into the pool from which it has just drifted;
at the same time the clappers fly back into place with a great noise.

Another contrivance, used in keeping small birds from the fields, is
a bird-like form cut from the bark of a banana or palm tree. Many of
these are suspended by lines from bamboo poles, and, as the wind blows
them to and fro, they appear like giant birds hovering over the rice.

A simple protection against deer is made by bending the white inner
bark of bamboo into arches and planting these at intervals along
possible places of entry, for it is said that these animals will not
approach such a contrivance.

Soon after the water is turned into the fields, shells and fish begin
to appear even in the higher terraces. Doubtless a considerable part
of these come in through the ditches, but the natives insist that most
of the fish bury themselves deep in the mud at the approach of the dry
season and hibernate until water again appears in the fields. [194]
These intruders are prized as food, and to secure them, short baited
lines are placed along the edges of the terraces, while each woman
has, attached to her belt, a small basket into which she places shells
discovered during her work. The men likewise secure fish by means of
hooks and lines, and also pierce them with short spears fitted with
detachable points, but more commonly they shoot them with a small
bow and peculiar arrows, the heads of which resemble flattened spoons
cut into four or five teeth. [195]

As the grain begins to ripen, the land is allowed to dry, and when
all is ready for the cutting, the people put on their best garments
and go to the fields. Each stalk is cut separately by means of a
crescent-shaped blade (_lakom_ or _lakem_) attached to a small wooden
cylinder (Fig. 14, Nos. 3-3a). This handle is held between the thumb,
first and fifth fingers, while the stalk is caught by the second and
third fingers, and is pulled inward against the steel blade. [196]
Many workers grasp th