114 BULLETIN 134, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



frame. The feather quill ends are inserted into this band and form 

 its warp. Both the corona of long yellow feathers and the circlet of 

 shorter brown breast feathers form an incomplete circle with the 

 undecorated sector at the back, a characteristic noted also on the 

 feather headdresses of the Guiana Indians. The two concentric 

 rings of cane strips firmly enclose the two encircling bands of feath- 

 ers between them. 



Four pompons terminating in red macaw (Ara species) tail 

 feathers, " nalu," (Tule), each about 50 cm. (19.6 in.) in length, are 

 inserted into the lateral walls of the basketry framework at points 

 equidistant around the circumference. The base of the pompon 

 is a sharpened spike of black Cleonta palm wood, the sharpened 

 end of which is thrust vertically into the basketry framework; the 

 end of the palmwood spike is sharpened and stuck into the base of 

 the quill end of the macaw feather plume. 



A section of hollow reed is placed over the middle section of the 

 palmwood spike where it is held in position by a notched projection 

 in the lateral surface of the spike. To this reed sleeve are attached 

 several small feathers of many colors by means of a pitched cord 

 wrapped in simple roll. Two sections of hollow bamboo, each 

 about 60 cm. (23.6 in.) in length and with the nodular septum re- 

 moved, are employed as containers for the pompons when removed 

 from the headdress and stored for safekeeping. 



Another example of the featherwork of the Panama Indian is a 

 plumed play bird made by the Choco of the Sambu River valley, 

 south Darien (Cat, No. 272596, U.S.N.M., pi. 29, No. 1). This 

 children's plaything was collected by H. Pittier. It represents a 

 combination of the wood carver's art and featherwork in artistic de- 

 sign. Fashioned from the soft balsa wood {Ochroma limonensis). the 

 carved bird figure represents probably a duck. Twelve holes are 

 drilled into the wooden figure at the sides and on the tail piece. Into 

 these holes are inserted long, brown tail feathers of the turkey, 

 " sigli," also the yellow feathers of the " tule " bird : four feathers 

 project horizontally from each side of the bird figure and four from 

 the tail piece. The body of the bird figure is decorated with a char- 

 acteristically Chocoan ornamental pattern in black and white paint. 

 Blocks of black color with circular outline appear on front and rear 

 breast; a black band encircles the neck and extends up to the under 

 surface of the throat. Black hour-glass patterns on the back alter- 

 nate with paralleling stripes of white. A narrow strip of white 

 runs along the upper surface of the beak and another bands of 

 white encircles the upper part of the neck. The natural wood 

 color supplies a third element in the design. Not considering the 

 extended tail feather plumes, the bird figure reaches a length of 

 46.5 cm. (18.3 in.). The play bird is suspended from a roof beam 



