0-:» REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 18%. 



The Arabic luime for tlic bones is kdh ((Uiiib hihatain, plural, h(bat), 

 meaning "ankle,'' referring- to their source. Two bones are now com- 

 monly used — one from the right and the other from the left leg of a 

 sheep.' I regard them as the direct ancestors of cubical dotted dice, 

 the name of which in Arabic is the same as that of the bones. The dice 

 used in Arabic countries are made in pairs (see Xo. 16), and the most 

 popular and universal game is one with two dice, Mhatain. 



Fig. 148. 

 VALUES OF THE THROW.S WITH KNUrKLK HONES. 



Tarnliumara Indians, Cliiliualuia, Mexico. 



Games with knuckle bones are a favorite amusement in Spanish- 

 American countries, and it is claimed that they existed among the 

 Indians before the discovery. Dr. Carl Lumholtz found them among 

 the Tarahumara,'^ who attribute numerical values to the different sides. 



Among the Pai)ago in Arizona Mr. W J McGee found a single 

 knuckle bone of a bison, used in playing a game called Tan-umn, of 

 which a s])ecimen collected by him (fig. 149,) is exhibited in the TT. S. 

 National Museum (Cat. No. 174443). 



' The favorite game among the Turkomans, according to Vamb^ry (Arminins Viim- 

 b('ry, Sketclies of Central Asia, Pljil.adelphia, 1868, p. 110), is the Jshik game {ashik, 

 the ankle bones of slieep), which is played in the manner of European- dice with the 

 four aukle bones of a slieep, and with a degree of passionate excitement of which 

 one can form no idea. The upper part of the bone is called tara, thelower allchl, and 

 the two sides yantarap. The player tiikes these fonr little bones into the palm of his 

 hand, throws them up and receives half the stake, if two tara or two altch'u and the 

 whole of the stake, if all fonr lava or dllclii turn up. 



The advantage to be gained arises entirely from dexterity in throwing. Trickery 

 is impossible, since the bones are fre(]>ieutly changed. 



Dr. Karl Hiudy (Die abteilung der Spiele in Spiegel der niandschu-sprache, T'oung 

 Pao, VI, p. 355) gives the Manchnname of knuckle houe as j/aru.ra. It would appear 

 from his account that several games were known corresponding to tho.se described 

 by the author as i)layed by Syrian children. One, played by chihlren, in which the 

 bones were employed as jackstones; another in which they were used as dice, and a 

 third filliping a knuckle bone at something or throwing at a knuckle bone set in the 

 ground. The Chinese name of knuckle bone is jnH sink kwat (pei si kn). 



-' They call the game Tu wi tni wa la. They play with two knuckle bones. The 

 counts are shown in fig. 148. In addition to these counts, if a bone stands on its 

 pointed end it counts six, and on the end opposite, twelve. 



Twelve points c<)nstitut(^ a game. The specimens collected by Dr. Lundioltz are 

 in the American Museum of Natural History (Cat. No. -y-,iV). 



