78 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. VII. 



ground a pipe, which he so placed that its stem leaned against the 

 base of one of the horns. This completed the altar. The skull 

 bore the following paint, which presumably had been done by a 

 priest while in the lone tipi. (See Fig. i.) On the forehead of the 

 skull was a square, the anterior and posterior lines of the square being 

 continued down the sides of the skull. In front of these were two 

 additional lines continuing entirely across the skull. On each side of 

 the lines of the square were two other lines, which were continued 

 backwards to the base of the skull, the anterior ends of these two 

 lines being connected by two parallel lines. All of the lines were 

 narrow red lines. (See PL XIV.) 



Fig. i. Diagram of paint of buffalo skull. 



Beginning of the Dance. <■ 

 Immediately after the arrival of the dancers several musicians 

 entered the lodge and took their places about a large drum inside 

 the lodge and just south of the entrance. They at once began to 

 shout in a high voice and beat irregularly on the drum. The dancers, 

 grandfathers, and pipe-bearers, who had seated themselves in a 

 long, semi-circular line about the west half side of the lodge, arose. 

 The grandfathers began shaking their bells or whatever they held 

 in their hands. The dancers began to cry and heave their chests 

 in a peculiar form of prayer. All raised their right hand toward 



