CULTURE OF PEOPLE OF SOUTHEASTERN PANAMA 113 



between clusters of small colored glass beads (Cat. No. 327430, 

 U.S.N.M., pi. 31, No. 2). 



Another necklace is composed of small green glass beads strung 

 on a necklace cord of native cotton that has been dyed purple. This 

 necklace has suspended from it throughout one-half its course 

 pendants consisting of sections of the mandible of the spider crab 

 (mithrax), " suga " (Tule), at intervals, with seven beads between 

 each pendant. The sections of mandible are from 1 cm. to 1.5 

 cm. in length (pi. 31, No. 3). 



A necklace of marginella shells, " tegla " (Tule), in which the 

 shells, each 1.5 cm. in length, are suspended on short strands of 

 uncolored, transparent, small glass beads, seven to nine in number, 

 from a necklace cord on which are strung small transparent glass 

 beads (Cat. No. 327441, U.S.N.M.). A small incision is made trans- 

 versely across the smaller end of each shell and the suspension cord 

 passed through (pi. 31, No. 4). 



Featherwork and headdresses. — The employment of an ornamental 

 and ceremonial feather headdress, " kantur kurgina," (Tule), is char- 

 acteristic of the Cuna and Tule, but not of the Choco tribes. Among 

 the Tule the wearing of a feather headdress is limited to the ruling 

 headmen, the chief musicians and dance leaders, and to the lele. 

 One of these headdresses (Cat. No. 327414, U.S.N.M., pi. 29, No. 

 3), is in the National Museum collection. The framework of the 

 headdress consists of a circular band 11.5 cm. (4.5 in.) high, woven 

 of small splints from the petiole of the tacca palm in diagonal twill 

 weave. Two parallel series of concentric bands of split cane, each 

 bound together with raffia, encircle the frame. Between these two 

 series of concentric basketry bands and projecting outward almost 

 at right angles to the frame, is an encircling row of yellow parrot 

 feathers, " tuli," (Tule). Each of these feathers is split open from 

 the thick base end of the quill a distance of about one inch upward 

 from the base; one of the split sections of the quill is cut off; the 

 other is bent back so as to form a loop through which is passed a 

 looped cord encircling the headdress frame. The loop composed of 

 the split quill end is now covered with a cord wrapping. This 

 process is repeated for each of the yellow parrot feathers, making 

 up a feather corona firmly attached to the frame and held in a 

 horizontal position between the two encircling parallel series of 

 concentric cane splints. Each feather in the encircling corona is now 

 pierced at its middle section and a lacing cord is passed through the 

 holes, binding each feather iuBteg corona firmly together. Immedi- 

 ately overlaying the corona is another circlet of much shorter brown 

 breast feathers of the "sigli" (wSj^turkey) attached at their quill 

 ends to a closely woven cotton band fitting the vertical walls of the 



