16 BULLETIN 136, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



There was also a varying pitch of the sound according to the point struck, the- 

 sharper sounds if struck near the teeth and the lower one if struck near the 

 joint over which the jaw was hinged. Occasionally the beater was rubbed 

 across the teeth like a notched stick rattle. 



Among the Ute Indians several notched stick rattles are used as 

 an accompaniment to the bear dance, held in the spring when the 

 bear comes from its hibernation. The ends of the notohed sticks 

 are rested upon a large piece of zinc which covers a hole in the 

 ground known as the bear's cave. This hole or trench acts as a 

 resonator. A typical example of an old bear dance rattle is 211004 

 (pi. 5)6), in which the notched stick is shaped like the jawbone of 

 a bear and the "rubber" is a stout bone. The notched stick is held 

 in a position similar to that of a violincello, and the player kneels 

 behind it as he draws the i; rubber " up and down the notches, sharply 

 accenting the downward motion. The resultant sound is said to 

 be like the growling of a bear. The instrument is commonly known 

 by the Spanish term "morache." At the present time a straight 

 stick is used, with a short stout stick as a " rubber," and (except in 

 the bear dance) a shallow basket, inverted on the ground, is used 

 as a resonator. Painted and decorated rattles of this type are used 

 by the Hopi and Zurii. Among the Yaqui in Arizona the writer saw 

 a notched stick rattle used at a deer dance. The notched stick was 

 the " rib " of the sahauro cactus, the " rubber " was a slender stick 

 of greasewood, and the resonator was half a gourd, inverted on the 

 ground. A similar instrument from the Papago, probably made of 

 mesquite wood, is 317605 (pi. 9i). 



A gourd shell, having notches cut through the outer skin is '501 52 7 

 from Porto Eico. This was probabty rasped with a stick. The 

 Museum collection contains specimens of this rattle from the Zuni, 

 Hopi, Piute, and Maya Indians, and an interesting specimen from 

 Guatemala in which the notches are not equidistant but in groups of 

 three or four. 



A sound similar to that of a notched stick rattle is produced by 

 revolving a wooden spring against a toothed cylinder. Such an in- 

 strument is described as a " revolving rattle." An example of this 

 instrument is 238056 (pi. da) from the Philippine Islands, commonly 

 called by the Spanish term " matracca." The body of the instru- 

 ment revolves around the handle, making a loud, rasping sound. 

 The instrument is used to frighten locusts away from the cultivated 

 fields. 



The fourth class of rattle is the sistrum, commonly called the 

 " jingling johnny." This is found in man}' forms, in many coun- 

 tries, both ancient and modern. Briefly described, it consists of a 

 frame, to which are attached small objects that jingle when the 

 frame is shaken. The word " frame," as here used, includes a wide 

 variety of objects, such as rings, bent rods, crescents, balls, hollow 



