238 



TEANSACTIONS OF THE 



[1895 



upon the bill, and the short little curl at the back of the head 

 is closely copied; the specimen here is red in color, and a very 

 soft frail pottery, yet the double mandible is shown, and the 

 skull bone is seen in the shape of the head. The birds' heads in 

 these bowls are always in natural position, looking forward, the 

 bowl forming the body of the bird, and the tail indicated by 

 lug (for holding the vessel), on the opposite side of the rim. 

 Vessels fashioned as these were so ill adapted for handling that 

 it is reasonable to refer them to ceremonial use, or for holduig 

 the food placed with the dead at the time of interment. 



To the latter purpose we may ascribe the bowls with human 

 heads attached, of which there is one specimen amongst this 

 find, as well as several of the heads, which once formed parts 

 of similar objects. 



One of these heads was the outside of a handle, and was used 

 a little differently on the vessel to which it was attached, than 

 the others, which stood upon the rim in a manner illustrated by 

 the entire bowl. This head handle is a different type of head 

 from the others, the whole face is very broad and surmounted 

 by a singular head-dress with three projections, the middle one 

 larger than the others, the nose has been broken but shows to 

 have been flat and broad, the marks of the cutting implement 

 show plainly about the eyes. The smallest of the heads is 

 much worn, it has deep indentations for eyes, and mouth, which 

 may have been made for inserting bone or shell. Another head 

 is a queer mixture of the toucan head and human countenance, 

 the forehead slopes back into a high conical ridge, which runs 

 down the back of the head to the neck, dividing it into two 

 parts ; the outline of the ear on one side is quite perfect, though 

 very large. Two more of the heads remain to be described; 

 both are well finished, every feature showing cutting after the 

 modeling, one has holes at eyes and" mouth for inlaid shell, 

 and the other has closed lids. They are remarkably spirited in 

 execution for such crude work and are suggestive of attempts 

 at portraiture. 



