94 



BULLETIN 87, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Snake ceremony. These have a feathered cord tied from the end of 



the crook to the place of insertion in the pedestal. Doctor Fewkes 



writes that these sticks have been called warrior prayer sticks and 



are symbols of ancient weapons. He further points out that 



their associations with the warrior fraternities bear out this 



assumption. 



Mr. Gushing made some interesting deductions con- 

 cerning the origin of the bow from this crook furnished 

 with a cord, suggesting that a missile might be thrown 

 from it much as an arrow is released from the bow 

 string. Great numbers of crook sticks survive in the 

 caves of southern Arizona. Of these, two kinds can 

 be distinguished, one in which the crook is 

 bent over and secured at the end, and in the 

 other variety the end is not bent to approach 



the staff. 



Sometimes these 

 crooks are small in 



192. 





193. 



194. 



195. 



196. 



197. 



Figs. 192, 193. — Stub paho.s from Bear Creek Gate. 



Fig. 194. — Twig paho from Bear Creek Ca\-e. 



Fig. 195. — Reed paho from Bear Creek Cave. 



Figs. 196, 197. — Heads of stub pahos from Bear Creek Cavi 



size and are used as symbolic offerings, but generally they are large 

 enough for effective implements and frequently the length of a throw 

 stick. None of the crooks show 

 possible that these crooks are a 



cord attachments. It 

 form of throwstick, 



may be 

 but the 



