SLTNG CONTRIVANCES FOR PROJECTILE WEAPONS. 681 



Greater Antilles and Lucayas. in Central America (in the east and 

 sontli) in Columbia. Kcuador, Peru, and in tlie Ama/on I*i\tM- dis- 

 trict, east Peru, and nortli Tii'azil. It is still in use in Miclioacan. 

 on I.ake Patzcuaro. and in lirazil among the ti'ihes of tlie upper 

 Xingu and Aragua^ya. There are tln-ee types — one androa'vnous 

 and two male. The androgynous form is the old Mt'xican atlatl. 

 The shaft is thin and not very strong. For a gri]) it is hollowed 

 out on the edges, and a leather thong forms a loop on either side for 

 the second and third fingers, or a piece of shell is attached to the 

 baclv; or a piece cut from shell" is placed on each side of the handle; 

 or braided cords'' take the ])lace of the thong; oi-, in I'ude types, a 

 cross^Mcce oidy is attached, which jn'ojects to right and lefi. 

 Finally, there is a groove in the center, or often one at both sides of 

 the shaft. San ^farcos, Fla.,*^ Santa Barbara, Cal.'' Tlie grip is 

 like one from Greenland (see pi. iii, fig. iVo). On the front a 

 furrow diminishes toward the outer end. where a peg jirotrudes. 

 In the class made of rings of shell a piece of liid(> is attached,'' by 

 the aid of which the third and fourth fingers j^ress against the board 

 from beneath. The upper end was often decorated witli fi'athers, 

 hair tufts, or narrow thongs. Sometimes a transparent qutirtz peb- 

 ble was attached (according to Starr, .')) as a luck stone (see pi. 

 IV, fig. .34). In use the second and third fingei's hook into their 

 rings, the spear is laid into the groove, and the cavity at the end 

 rests against the peg. The first, fourth, and fifth fingers encircling 

 the shaft hold the spear securely upon the sling. This form was 

 still in use about the time of the discovery of America. In the 

 descriptions and illustrations of Spanish historians of the coii(}uest 

 the}' are incorrectly drawn and explained. ^^ It was used in war, l)uS 

 oftener in the chase and in fishing.'^ It appears in ancient calendars 

 and picture writings, especially associated AA'ith the sun god Tona- 

 tiuh or Xinhpilli, the fire god Xinhtecutli, and of Tezcatlipoca,'' as 

 seen in the works of Duriaii, Torquemada; Ramnsio, Oviedo, Ro- 

 bledo. etc. It occurs singly upon sculptures and on the plaster 

 casts in the INIusee du Trocadero, from Olmec Uixtotin, on th(» 

 Isthmus of Tehuantepec' Examples are preser^'ed from the caAC 



a Doctor Seler: Intern. Arcli. Ill, i.. IST-llS; Stolpo: Intern. Arcli. III. p. 

 234-238. 



& Doctor Seler : Int«'rn. Arcli. III. p. 1-14; the same: (Jlol)ns. (11, No. 7. p. 07. 



c Mason : Intern. Arch. XI, p. 129, et seq. 



^ Dalton : Intern. Arch. X, p. 220, et se<i. 



c Starr: Intern. Arch. XI, ]). 2.")3 : Doctor Seler : Intern. Arch. III. p. 144. 



f Doctor Seler: (Mohus, CI, No. 7. ]). 07 el scq. : Doctor Uhle, JMitth. der 

 Wiener anthroj). (Jesellschaft, X^'II. ISSO, pt. 2, pj.. 107-144. 



fl Schuts : Urgoschlchte dor Knltnr. 



/'Doctor Seler: liUern. Ar<-li. HI. p. i:;0. 



t Doctor Seler: Globus, 01, No. 7, p. 07 et seq. 



