DATUEAS — SAfcFOHD. 555 



dard Dubois, who, after describing the beautiful large flowers, open- 

 ing toward evening and closing the next morning, speaks of the wide 

 range of the plant in the southwestern United States and Mexico. 

 Instead of the seeds it is the root of the plant which is used by these 

 Indians as a narcotic. 



The plant itself is called by the Luisenos Naktomusk, or Nakto- 

 mush; the ceremony is known as the mani or tnanisK-mani. When it 

 grows dark the masters of the ceremony, called paha, go from house to 

 house to collect the candidates for initiation, sometimes carrying in 

 their arms little boys who have already fallen to sleep to the place of 

 assembly. The strictest silence is observed, and it is necessary that the 

 paha be a shaman, or wizard skilled in magic. A large tamyush, or 

 stone bowl, is placed before the chief, who, sitting in the darkness, 

 pounds with a stone memo, or pestle, the dry scraped root of the plant, 

 to the accompaniment of a weird chant, while the boys stand waiting. 

 The powdered root is then passed through a basket-sieve back into 

 the stone bowl and water is poured upon it. The boys are enjoined to 

 keep silence. As each boy kneels in turn before the big bowl to drink 

 the infusion, his head is supported by the hand of the master of cere- 

 monies, who raises it when enough has been taken. It is a solemn oc- 

 casion, a spiritual rebirth, suggesting the rites of baptism or confirma- 

 tion. During the entire ceremony both the men and the boys are 

 quite nude. When the drink has been administered to all the candi- 

 dates, dances are performed in the darkness, accompanied by cries 

 in imitation of birds and beasts ; and when these are finished the can- 

 didates are marched round a fire, chanting a ceremonial song. As the 

 effects of the narcotic plant overcome them, one by one they fall to 

 the ground and are carried to another place and left until they re- 

 gain consciousness. After this the dancing is resumed and kept up 

 through the entire night. At daylight they return to the place where 

 the drink was administered, and after a day of fasting they witness 

 feats of magic performed by the shamans, from whom, after having 

 been dressed in feathers and painted, they receive wonder-working 

 sticks. The boys are also instructed by their elders in certain mys- 

 teries and rules of conduct, somewhat corresponding to one's duties 

 toward God and to one's neighbor, as taught in the catechism. The 

 initiatory ceremony is followed by two or three weeks of abstinence 

 from salt and meat, after which a ceremony with a rope, called wana- 

 wut, is performed. When this is finished the candidates are free. 



DATURA DISCOLOR OF THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES. 



Plate 5. 



Closely allied to Datura meteloides, but differing from it in the 

 size and color of its flowers and seeds, is Datura discolor Bernh., a 

 species to which very little attention has been paid, and which has 

 commonly been confused in herbaria with other species from which 



