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    halves of the seed. At one end
    of each string a small bell (ɛɽoɽo
    [ ˥ ˥ ˥ ]) and some cowries are
    fastened. The diviner (ɔb-ogwɛga
    [ ˩ ˥ (4-1) ˩ ]) seizes one end of each
    string and throws them with the
    intention of turning them upside
    down. The subsequent arrange-
    ment of seeds is then analysed
    (v. eria [ ˩ ˥ ]) according to a certain
    code (itie [ ˩ ˥ ]), the criterion
    being the “open” or “covered”
    position of the seed-halves. The
    analysis is said to proceed at first
    from the right side to the left,
    and, after that, in the opposite
    direction, but as if the arrange-
    ment were looked at from the
    other end of the strings. The
    different positions have names,
    e.g. odĩ [ ˩ ˥ ] is a string with the
    two outer seed-halves showing
    their inside, and the two inner
    halves showing their cover.
    (Under the headings dealing
    with these positions, o. will
    mean “open”, and c. “covered”+,
    as reckoned from the top of the
    string.) The names of the
    positions are: odĩ [ ˩ ˥ ], oɣoi [ ˩ ˩ ]
    oɽuhu [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ], ɔɣae [ ˩ ˥ ], ogbi [ ˥ ˩ ]
    ako [ ˩ ˥ ], ose [ ˩ ˥ ], ohũ [ ˩ ˥ ]
    ɛrhoxwa [ ˩ ˥ ˩ ], ɛka [ ˩ ˥ ], ɔkã [ ˩ ˩ ]
    ɔʋa [ ˩ ˩ ], etuɽɛ [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ], ete [ ˩ ˩ ]
    ɔha [ ˩ ˥ ] and eɣitã [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ]. As the
    relations of two strings to one
    another are always considered,
    these names are usually com-
    bined, e.g. ɔh-ɔɣae [ ˩ ˥ ˥ ] (ɔha
    ＋ ɔɣae). If both positions are
    the same, their name is followed
    by n-abe [ \ ˩ ] “combined”, e.g.
    ɔkã n-abe [ ˩ ˩ \ ˩ ]. The “code” of
    this divination gives a fixed
    sentence for each of these com-
    binations, and the task of the