Dec, 1905. The Ponca Sun Dance — Dorsey. 83 



are symbolic of clouds. Thus they make themselves plain to the 

 Thunder- Bird. Each dancer also wore on his breast the usual eagle- 

 wing bone Sun Dance whistle, which was suspended from a cord 

 around his neck. The lower end of the whistle, that is, the part he 

 inserted in the mouth, was covered with short sage stems. This is 

 said to prevent the dancers from becoming thirsty. 



First Paint. 



This is the paint worn on the third day of the first entry of the 

 lodge. As before noted, all preparations of costumes, painting, etc., 

 were done in the secret tipis. 



1st Group. All wore an eagle breath feather attached by a short 

 string to the scalp lock, and a necklace of long, red horsehair, so 

 arranged as to extend well down on the breast and shoulders. (See 

 PI. XXII, Fig. 1.) The entire body was painted yellow. Blue dots 

 extended down the arms and surrounded the face. (See PI. XXIII, 

 Fig. 1.) The upper half of the face of the grandfather was painted 

 black. 



2d Group. All wore an eagle breath feather attached to the 

 scalp lock, and a wide collar of eagle feathers about the neck. (See 

 PI. XXII, Fig. 2.) The entire body was painted yellow, except 

 the face, which was red. All the dancers, except the grandfather, 

 wore a row of large, red, circular dots on the left arm, and a red 

 zigzag line on the right arm. (See PI. XXIII, Fig. 2.) 



3d Group. All wore the eagle breath feather in the scalp lock. 

 The grandfather wore around his neck a wreath of sage, so fash- 

 ioned that the sage projected outward on four sides, thus giving 

 it a rectangular appearance. (See PI. XXIV, Fig. 1.) The bodies 

 of all were painted yellow. The faces were painted a bright red, 

 surrounded by a row of white dots. On the right arms were zigzag 

 lines, and on the left rows of large circular dots, both in bright red. 

 (See PL XXV, Fig. 1.) 



4th Group. All wore an eagle breath feather in the scalp lock 

 and a collar of eagle tail feathers around the neck. Three of the 

 dancers carried in their right hands a compactly made ring of willow ; 

 the fourth carried in his right hand a similar ring of sage, to which 

 were attached eight eagle breath feathers. (See PI. XXIV, Fig. 2.) 

 The entire bodies of all were painted yellow ; so were the faces of all 

 except one, who had only a blue line across his face. The others bore 

 a row of blue dots around their faces. 



5th Group. All wore eagle breath feathers attached to their 

 scalp locks. The grandfather wore a necklace or collar of black 

 eagle feathers and all the dancers wore a collar of crow feathers. 



