104 BULLETIN 134, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



his front. His arms, stomach, flanks, and legs were bare. The con- 

 trast was all the more striking, as this individual Indian was white 

 skinned. 



On the Caribbean or north slope of the Isthmus, the Tule men 

 wear anything or nothing, from a simple breech cloth to loose cotton 

 shirts and trousers, with the shirt tails not tucked in. Men dress 

 somewhat according to the position they occupy in the tribe; this 

 applies even more to the garb of women, who also dress accord- 

 ing to the traditional demands of the occasion at hand. 



The customary female attire consists of a piece of cotton cloth 

 wrapped about the hips and extending from the waist, where it is 

 fastened by tucking in one end, to a few inches above the knees. 

 For more ceremonial purposes a short-sleeved chemise " mola " 

 (Tule) is worn, which is embroidered with complicated designs of 

 applique work at the front and back. The ensemble of a woman's 

 attire is called " matalete " (Tule). 



The Sncubti River Cuna men and the Mountain Cuna of the Pucro. 

 Paya, and Capeti valleys are garbed in blue trousers which they 

 obtain in trade; the Mountain Cuna women wear a single red or 

 blue cloth blouse reaching to the knees, and under this blouse is a 

 skirt consisting of a seamless roll of calico. For ceremonial occa- 

 sions the chiefs have featherwork hats on a basketry foundation. 



The ornamental objects worn by the Choco far outnumber the 

 articles of apparel worn for bodily protection. Their arms, legs, 

 and neck are weighted down on festive occasions with silver orna- 

 ments and necklaces of shells, teeth, seeds, and variously colored 

 glass beads. Neck and loins are encircled with many strings of 

 beads. From the beaded headbands are suspended bunches of aro- 

 matic roots and bark. 



Bark clotlis. — The men ordinarily wear scarlet or blue breech- 

 clouts and the women a loin cloth or short skirt. The breech clout 

 is usually of calico cotton cloth, though formerly it consisted of the 

 beaten blast of the ficus palm and several other varieties of plants. 

 The clout is about one foot broad and several feet long ; it is passed 

 between the legs in front and back of the body over a string tied 

 around the waist, and is allowed to hang down in front of the body 

 like a small apron (pi. 12, No. 3). On special occasions the string 

 is replaced by a broad band of white beads; strands of beads then 

 also ornament the neck and chest; broad silver cuffs are placed on 

 the wrists. The Choco men dispense with the use of a hat; a head- 

 band is worn instead, sometimes adorned with a red flower. 



The Choco woman's dress is ordinarily quite simple like that of 

 the Tule woman's garb. A piece of cotton calico cloth several feet 

 long is wrapped around the hips, forming a skirt extending a little 

 below the knees. Little girls are given one of these skirts, " paruna," 



