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Samoan Material Culture

Hooking Appliance

Hooking Appliance

A curious seu method prevails in catching flying foxes with a vegetable hook appliance tied to a long handle. The angaoso is a creeping plant provided with curved thorns forming natural hooks which curve towards the root end. A number of small branches are cut off in about 30-inch lengths. About 16 are tied to one end of a long handle with sennit braid. (See Plate XLVIII, B.) The object is to hook the wings of the animal and by tearing them bring the animal to the ground. They are caught thus in three ways:

1.While feeding on the fruit, such as bananas and breadfruit.

They are very fond of the flower below the banana bunches of the fa'i pata kind. The hunter conceals himself near likely trees and allows the bat to alight on the fruit before he hooks it.

2.While flying.

The hunter takes up his position between trees laden with fruit and intercepts the flying fox as it comes to feed in the evening.

3.From a tree platform (tia).

The seu a lunga method' of netting pigeons from a platform in a tree is also observed with the flying fox in Savaii but the hunter has a hook appliance instead of a net.