118 BULLETIN 134, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



in their dances (Cat, No. 272591, U.S.N.M.). Similar calabash rat- 

 tles were also collected by Brother Ariste Joseph at Fomeque, Colom- 

 bia (Cat. No. 315024, U.S.N.M.). 



Instead of shaking the rattle, the dancers among the Tule some- 

 times clap their hands together during the dance to obtain a rhyth- 

 mic effect, while the Choco have recourse to the drum. The distinc- 

 tion loses its significance when consideration is given to the variety 

 of tonal and rhythmic phrasing obtained by the former in the manip- 

 ulation of the musical rattle. 



The small wooden rattle used by the Tule women as a baby 

 pacifier is unique, The rattle is composed of a slender hollowed 

 wooden cylinder 6.4 cm. (2.5 in.) in length and curved in boomerang 

 fashion; to it is attached a wooden handle G cm. (2.4 in.) in length. 

 The cavity of the rattle contains a few small canna seeds which 

 have been inserted through the orifice now closed by the handle end. 

 A pitched wrapping cord in crossed roll lacing fastens the handle 

 to the rattle. 



Drums. — An upright shell drum, " pila " (Tule), employed by 

 the Choco in accompaniment to their dances, was collected by the 

 Marsh-Darien Expedition in the valley of the Bio Negro, south 

 Darien. The instrument is made of the light balsa wood and stands 

 57.9 cm. (22.8 in.) in height; it is mounted on a pedestal base carved 

 from the same block of wood, 27.4 cm. (10.4 in.) in diameter. The 

 single drum head, 33.1 cm. (13 in.) in diameter, is made of peccary 

 (Dicotyles labiatus) skin; the thin shell and bottom of the drum 

 are carved from the same hollowed block of soft balsa wood. 



The general outline of the drum is that of an irregular hour- 

 glass with the greatest constriction located at the bottom of the 

 drum proper and just above the flaring pedestal support. (Cat. 

 No. 327413, U.S.N.M., pi. 7, No. 1.) 



The drumhead is held taut by a harness of two-ply rope cord 

 which encircles the outer pendent edges of the peccary skin drum- 

 head. A series of incisions pierce the outer pendent circumference 

 of the skin, which for purposes of reinforcement has been lapped 

 over so as to form a double layer. Through these incisions is passed 

 the end of the rope-cord harness and then downward and around 

 an anchor rope of tough fibrous vines encircling the shell, after 

 which it is again drawn up through another incision in the over- 

 hanging skin. This process is continued until the circuit of the 

 drum shell is completed. A wooden unweighted drumstick or 

 beater is attached to the loose end of the rope harness. 



The anchor rope of vines is placed about one-third the distance 

 down the side of the drum shell and is held in position by a series 

 of wooden wedges inserted under it from the top. From time to 



