Societe publishes
p. 94 · Read in the full issue
in French and English on Pacific
With its excellent biblio
graphies and biographical dic
tionaries of the French Pacific territories and its many other publications, the Societe des Oceanistes in Paris has made a substantial contribution (in
French) to Pacific scholarship
over the past 20 years.
Now, the Societe has embarked on a new publishing venture—a series of a dozen booklets, in French and English, on various subjects of interest to scholars of, and visitors to, French Polynesia.
Each booklet consists of 32 pages with numerous illustrations. The writers are well-known scholars in their fields. The first two booklets to appear are: Traditional Art of Tahiti, by Anne Lavondes; and Sacred Stones and Rites of Ancient Tahiti, by Jose Garanger. A third booklet, by R. H. Houwink, deals with the postage stamps of Tahiti.
The booklets are attractively pro duced and cover their subjects in handy, succinct packages. Un fortunately, the English versions contain a number of clumsy transla tions from the French, and there are rather too many literal errors.
If the publishers can rectify these deficiencies in future impressions and in forthcoming publications in the series, they should have many English-speaking buyers.
Copies of the booklets may be obtained from the Societe des Oceanistes, Musee de FHomme, Paris, and from booksellers in Tahiti.
Information on the price per copy is not on hand. —RL. • Folk Tales of the South Pacific, is a booklet of stories collected by Inez Hames, of Fiji, and now avail able from the University of London Press at 8/- stg. Of special interest to schools, or for parents who like reading to their children. The stories include examples from New Guinea, the New Hebrides, Fiji, the Solo mons, Tonga, Samoa and New Zea land. Black and white illustrations by Beryl Sanders.