ABORIGINAL AMERICAN HARPOONS. 



273 



A toggle head of a whale harpoon (Cat. No. oBHOi. U.S.N.M.). from 

 Point Barrow, Alaska, oollectod by Captain Ray and described ])y 

 Murdoch (1892, p. 238). is shown in hg. 66. Specimens of this kind 

 are made for the market. The blades are trianguhir. the corners 

 somewhat rounded oti'. The ])ody is of coarse 

 whale's bone, from the rib or jaw. Onl}- two out 

 of a large number collected b}" Ray are of ivory. 

 The blade of this example is of 

 brass, set into a saw cut in the 

 end of the bod}- and held in place 

 by a bone rivet. The bod}' is 

 somewhat quadrangular in sec- 

 tion, the line hole is well back 

 from the blade, and the bod}- 

 widens from the front to this 

 point. The line grooves extend 

 outward lieyond the base. The 

 single spur is long and inclined 

 upward. The base, contrary to 

 the usual pattern. 

 is somewhat con- 

 vex. In the great 

 mass of toggle 

 harpoons the base 

 is either concave 

 or formed hy two 

 planes which 

 make a different 

 angle with the axis 

 of the specimen. 

 But in this case 

 the contrary is 

 true. The socket 

 for the foreshaft 

 is wide and deep. 



A small toggle head (Cat. No. .56614, U.S.N.M.) of 

 bone, from Point Barrow, for catching seal, is shown in 

 hg. 67. Body conoid, flattened laterally. Blade lanceo- 

 late, just fitting at its base into the slit of the head and 

 fastened with an iron rivet. Line hole straight through 

 and flanked by deep grooves. Barbs, two, formed Ijy a 

 file cut in the back. This is a common practice on hundreds of mod- 

 ern specimens. Socket for the shaft shallow and distinctly margined. 

 Butt end formed by the meeting of two planes. Length, 8 inches. 

 Collected by P. H. Ray. 



NAT MUS 1900 19 



Fig. 06. 

 TOGGLE HEAD. 



Diomede Island, Bering 



Strait. 



Collected by E. W. Nelson 



Cat. No. 49167, U.S.N.M. 



Fig. 60. 



TOGGLE HE.\D OF WH.\LE 

 HARPOON. 



Point Barrow. 



Collected by P. H. Ray. 

 Cat. No. 56601, U.S.N.M. 



Fig. 07. 



TOGGLE HEAD. 

 Point Barrow, 

 Alaska. 

 Collected by P. H 

 Ray. Cat. No 

 56614, U.S.N.M. 



